Vals aims to revolutionize AI benchmarking with industry-specific evaluations

Vals, a startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, is challenging traditional AI benchmarking methods by focusing on industry-specific evaluations. Founded in 2024, the company raised $40 million in a series A last month, following a seed round led by 8VC and Bloomberg Beta. Rayan Krishnan, the 25-year-old co-founder, previously worked at Microsoft and Stanford’s AI lab, and says Vals was created to address the gap between rapidly advancing AI models and outdated benchmarks. The startup’s approach emphasizes real-world impact, testing models on tasks in law, finance, and coding, rather than general knowledge. Vals also evaluates potential negative consequences of AI models, including applications in mental health, cybersecurity, and law of armed conflict. The company’s revenue has grown eightfold since last year, with its team expanding from eight to 25 employees. Krishnan envisions Vals’ benchmarking system as a key factor in how AI companies will report public filings and attract investments. As AI becomes more integrated into the economy, he believes these evaluations will shape its future. Vals recently launched a program to provide model evaluations to federal agencies, further solidifying its role in the industry.