AI data platform Protege, which raised $65 million in funding, why is it able to attract leading institutions like a16z to bet on it?

【Chain Wen】Imagine a scenario where the core bottleneck in AI model training is not computing power, but data quality—this is the real challenge faced by all large model companies.

Recently, AI data aggregation platform Protege has made a big move. They just completed a $30 million Series A extension funding, bringing their total funding to $65 million, led by a16z. Footwork, CRV, Bloomberg Beta, Flex Capital, Shaper Capital, and other institutions followed closely, making the lineup truly impressive.

What does this company do? Simply put, they collect real-world data in fields like healthcare, media, and audio, then clean and standardize the formats. The goal is straightforward—to provide high-quality structured data for AI model training. Among their clients are top-tier large model companies in the AI field, which is the real reason for the hot funding.

With this round of funding secured, Protege’s plans are clear: continue expanding data coverage, deepen collaborations with institutions, and iterate on product experience. In the AI data track, whoever can ensure data quality and exclusivity holds the key to model iteration. Capital clearly sees through this.