Head of Challenges @SPRIND - Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation. Leading Challenges in AI, drug development, biotech, energy, computing & more.
Joined May 2019
- Tweets 1,021
- Following 602
- Followers 465
- Likes 1,525
124 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
18 Jul 2025
Had a great time talking to @eric_is_weird about @SPRIND, what we look for in program managers & "Jano’s obsessions with SPRIN-D’s administrative processes, such as their speed with “Fourteen days time-to-money”
freaktakes.com/p/an-intervie…
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Jun 7
We need to run up the steep learning curve that underpins breakthrough innovation funding. Happy to be working with @RenPhilanthropy on this in the BiTS program. Looking for forward to speaking to anyone who has practical experience and strong opinions in the space.
“In the craft world or the culinary world, we have elaborate apprenticeship systems. To become a Michelin star chef, you work your way up by doing the work. We don’t have the same in our funding institutions, and we should.”
— @jncstrd, SPRIND
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Jano Costard retweeted
Most moonshot ideas never become real programs, startups, or policy. The Pathways to Implementation track at Vision Weekend UK gathers the people working to change this.
Fireside chats and talks on funding, organizational design, and training for frontier work:
• @jncstrd (SPRIND) and @joemeyerowitz (Field Foundry) on programs that combine visionary outcomes with real-world impact
• @darjaisaksson (Vinnova) on building organizational structures that tolerate uncertainty and experimentation
• Peter Gehler (Tübingen AI Institute) and @Thane_ac (Deep Science Ventures) on rethinking training
• @pablos (Deep Future) on funding the unfundable
Emceed by @allisondman and Barbara Diehl. Sunday June 7, Bankside London.
Thank you to @SPRIND for powering this track, and for showing what's possible when an agency is built to back ideas that don't fit existing categories.
Pathways to Implementation is one of seven tracks at Vision Weekend UK, alongside Emerging AI Paradigms, Life Unlimited, Neurotechnology, Nanotechnology, Energy, & Space, Existential Hope Futures, and Funding X.
Join us next week in London. Tickets in comments.
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Jano Costard retweeted
NEW SPRIND #Podcast: Thomas Ramge talks to Ida Tin, mother of the term femtech and lead of the SPRIND Continuous Hormone Monitoring challgenge buff.ly/qhAauGr
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Jano Costard retweeted
May 11
NEW: I’m excited to announce our latest BiTS Accelerator open call.
This is our second cohort with @SPRIND, Germany’s innovation agency, and it is great to see them double-down on the model.
In fact, 2 participants from the first round were recruited to run large-scale programs
If creating conditions for breakthroughs is a better use of your technical expertise than running one more experiment, then @RenPhilanthropy's Big if True Science (BiTS) Accelerator, in partnership with @SPRIND, may be for you.
We have now opened our second cohort.
Read more here: renaissancephilanthropy.org/…
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Jano Costard retweeted
The AI revolution in science is powered by open source software. Let's fund it.
Today we're launching the Open Source for Science Fund @os4science, a new multi-donor philanthropic fund by @RenPhilanthropy, seeded by @biohub and @wellcometrust, with support from @KavliFoundation and Research Software Alliance.
🧵os4science.org/news/open-sou…
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Jano Costard retweeted
Delighted to welcome Neil Lawrence to the Next Frontier AI Challenge jury. DeepMind Professor of ML at Cambridge, author of The Atomic Human.
#NextFrontierAI #FrontierAI #Deeptech #Europe
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apply now: sprind.org/en/actions/challe…
Learn more: next-frontier.ai/
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Jano Costard retweeted
€125M equity-free for frontier AI built in Europe.
SPRIND Next Frontier AI Challenge: up to 10 teams, up to €26.5M each.
For alt architectures, world models, neuro-symbolic, scientific foundation models, and more.
Apply by 1 June 2026, 12pm CEST. Link below.
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Apr 21
Super happy to talk about how to support visionary builders!
Molecular self-assembly. Private AI. Brain-computer interfaces. AGI safety. Hacking aging biology. Dyson spheres. Funding models for long-horizon science.
We can’t wait for the talks at our upcoming Vision Weekend. June 5-7 in London.
Full speaker lineup:
• Greg Wayne (Google DeepMind) on universal AI assistants
• William Shih (Harvard University) on self-assembly and the coming age of molecular machines
• @moxie (Confer) on private AI
• @leecronin (University of Glasgow)
• @irinarish (Mila) on beyond scaling: toward continual and adaptive intelligence
• @eboyden3 (MIT) on incentives in science
• @anderssandberg (Institute for Future Studies) on Dyson 2070: how fast can we build a Dyson sphere and how stable are they?
• João Pedro de Magalhães @jpsenescence (University of Birmingham) on hacking aging biology
• @dorothychou (Google DeepMind) on capital for the long game: financing durable innovation in an age of hype
• @SergeyStavisky (UC Davis) on high-bandwidth BCIs for motor and communication recovery in people with paralysis
• Žiga Avsec @Avsecz (Google DeepMind) on advancing regulatory variant effect prediction with AlphaGenome
• Christopher Rozell @crozSciTech (Georgia Tech) on closed-loop neuroengineering
• @JerzySzablowski (Rice University) on precision neuromodulation through molecular engineering and focused ultrasound
• Christine Peterson @lifeext (Foresight Institute) on Foresight, 40 years later
• @MariusHobbhahn (Apollo Research) on the case for AGI safety products
• @WeinbaumJonah (Institute for Progress) on the 'launch sequence': towards a concrete agenda for defensive acceleration
• Peter Gehle (Tübingen AI Institute)
• @joemeyerowitz (Field Foundry)
• @jncstrd (SPRIND) on challenges as a tool for breakthrough innovation
• @RonitKanwar (Renaissance Philanthropy) on fuelling scientific renaissances
• Lynne Cox @OxAgeN_oxford (University of Oxford)
• Adam Shai @adamimos on the neural basis of intelligent behavior
• Zoë Brammer (Google DeepMind) on AI for science 2030
• Darja Isaksson (Vinnova)
• Thane Campbell @Thane_ac (Deep Science Ventures)
• Ankur Vora (Google DeepMind) on AI for science 2030
• Leah Morris @leahelizmorris on AI for science
• @KirillEves (e184)
• Kathleen Fisher (ARIA)
• Mehmet Fisek (Meridial)
• @JacquesCarolan (ARIA) moderator
• Barbara Diehl @barbaradiehl13 (SPRIND) moderator
• Eric Gilliam @eric_is_weird (Renaissance Philanthropy) moderator
• @allisondman (Foresight Institute) moderator
Powered by:
@apolloaievals
@ARIA_research
@e184media
@CUHPartners
@RenPhilanthropy
@SPRIND
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apr 15
The German Federal Innovation Agency is running a €125m competition to fund 3 new Frontier AI labs in Europe!
"Next Frontier AI" is a pan-European initiative led by @SPRIND to create three globally relevant Frontier AI labs.
It starts with a €125m challenge where up to 10 teams receive funding over 24 months to build frontier-lab capabilities, including team, infrastructure, prototypes, evaluation discipline, and early pilots.
The best-performing teams will then receive structured support toward raising ~€1 billion each.
Europe has some of the top AI companies in the world, but as a continent we are massively dependent on frontier labs from other countries.
This initiative seeks to change that and I am HERE FOR IT.
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apr 5
14 days. From deadline to signed contract.
In most government programs, you’re lucky to get an automated confirmation email in two weeks. At SPRIND, that’s our average time to select the winners and get the funding flowing.
We aren't looking for the best grant writers. We are looking for the best builders.
How we killed the bureaucracy:
No 100-page Proposals: We don't want elaborate prose; we want genius concepts and the technical evidence to back them up.
Sprint-Speed Review: Our internal team is dedicated to one thing: identifying the next frontier in record time.
Lean & Focused: We’ve stripped away the "government bs" so you can spend your energy on the code, not the paperwork.
If you can build it, we can fund it... faster than anyone else in Europe.
The deadline is May 31st.
Don’t wait until the last minute; meet us this April:
📍 Zurich – April 16, 2026
📍 Warsaw – April 22, 2026
📍 Amsterdam – April 29, 2026
👉 next-frontier.ai/challenge#w…
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Dr. @jncstrd is the Head of Challenges at @SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions; including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apr 4
Public money makes you slow.
We’ve heard the critique: Government initiatives are bogged down by bureaucracy, wrong incentives, and a lack of urgency.
Critics argue that without the "sink or swim" pressure of private capital, the entrepreneurial drive disappears.
At Next-Frontier.AI, we see it differently.
We aren't here to fund comfortable research... we are here to fund breakthroughs that shouldn't be possible yet. We use public money to take the risks that private VCs can't, but we keep the North Star of a high-growth startup.
How we stay fast:
Problem-First, Not Tech-First: Your technical thesis must be anchored in solving a massive, real-world problem.
Staged Competition: This isn't a 2-year grant; it's a 24-month race with "go/stop" gates. If you don't perform, you don't advance.
Commercial DNA: From Stage 1, we help you build a viable, commercially sustainable business on your own terms.
We provide the fuel, but the drive must come from you.
Ready to prove the skeptics wrong? Join us at the Roadshow:
📍 Zurich – April 16, 2026
📍 Warsaw – April 22, 2026
📍 Amsterdam – April 29, 2026
👉 next-frontier.ai/events
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Dr. @jncstrd is the Head of Challenges at @SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions; including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apr 3
Execution speed is the only metric that matters.
In the race to the next AI frontier, a "perfect plan" on paper is worth nothing if you can't ship.
At Next-Frontier.AI, we aren't looking for teams that spend months in deliberation. We are looking for teams that move at 100% from day one.
Stage 1 is only seven months long. That’s not a lot of time to prove a breakthrough hypothesis.
What we expect in Stage 1:
Velocity over Perfection: You don’t need everything in place on day one, but you need a lethal starting point.
Aggressive Growth: You’ll need to extend your team and gain experience running your systems in real-time.
Tangible Results: We measure progress by first technological proof points... not slide decks.
There are no "90 days to settle in" here. The clock starts the moment you get funded.
Are you ready to move this fast?
Let’s talk at the Roadshow:
📍 Zurich – April 16, 2026
📍 Warsaw – April 22, 2026
📍 Amsterdam – April 29, 2026
👉 next-frontier.ai/challenge/w…
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Dr. @jncstrd is the Head of Challenges at @SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions; including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apr 2
Will the government own my IP?
It’s the first question every serious founder asks when they see a public funding contract.
Let’s be clear: Next-Frontier.AI is designed to build global powerhouses, and you can’t scale without owning your core technology.
The "@SPRIND license" exists for one reason and one reason only: European State Aid Law.
The Facts:
You Keep Ownership: Full IP ownership stays with your team so you remain venture-ready for that €1B round.
No Commercialization: SPRIND will not (and cannot) sub-license or commercialize your work.
Internal Use Only: The license is strictly for internal use during the challenge to meet regulatory requirements.
We aren't here to take your code; we’re here to give you the non-dilutive runway to make it world-class.
Get the full details at our upcoming Roadshow:
📍 Zurich – April 16, 2026
📍 Warsaw – April 22, 2026
📍 Amsterdam – April 29, 2026
👉 next-frontier.ai/challenge/a…
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Dr. @jncstrd is the Head of Challenges at @SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions; including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
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Jano Costard retweeted
Apr 1
A billion euros.
PR stunt?
If you want to build a Frontier AI Lab that actually shifts the global trajectory, you have to talk about serious capital. We’ve seen it with the most recent labs founded by pioneers like Yann LeCun... a billion is what they raise to stay in the game.
At Next-Frontier.AI, the "Path to €1B" isn’t a vague promise. By the time a team exits Stage 3, that path must be concrete.
What we are building with you:
Investment-Grade Readiness: We don't just give you a prize; we build the data rooms, governance, and IP structures that global investors demand.
A Coalition of Capital: We are rallying European and global VCs, public banks, and corporate partners to be ready for you.
No Underfunding: Unless there is proof that the next generation of AI needs less capital, we ensure our teams have the roadmap to reach that €1B scale.
We are closing the gap between "ambitious research" and "global powerhouse."
Don't miss the Roadshow; registration is open:
📍 Zurich – April 16, 2026
📍 Warsaw – April 22, 2026
📍 Amsterdam – April 29, 2026
👉 next-frontier.ai/events
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Dr. @jncstrd is the Head of Challenges at @SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions; including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
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Jano Costard retweeted
Mar 31
We won’t beat OpenAI by copying them.
If you try to catch up to the current AI S-curve with European budgets and constraints, you lose by design. The real challenge isn’t just competing with the OpenAI of today... it’s out-thinking the OpenAI of tomorrow.
We are looking for the teams willing to take radical bets. We aren't interested in incremental tweaks or "safe" optimizations. We want the architectures and approaches so powerful they define the next frontier.
Why join the Next-Frontier.AI Challenge?
Total Research Freedom: No VC pressure for quick wins; build on your terms.
€125M Non-Dilutive Funding: Real capital to bridge the gap from theory to prototype.
A Path to €1B: We build the investment-grade data rooms and coalition of capital you need to scale globally.
If you have the vision to leapfrog the status quo, we have the resources to back you.
Meet us on the Roadshow:
📍 Zurich – April 16, 2026
📍 Warsaw – April 22, 2026
📍 Amsterdam – April 29, 2026
👉 Join the Waitlist: next-frontier.ai/challenge/w…
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Dr. @jncstrd is the Head of Challenges at @SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions; including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
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Mar 17
Europe needs to start building if we want to play a role in future AI. It's not just on innovators, government needs to support the brightest at the speed and scale needed to be competitive on a global scale.
Cutting red tape & speeding up processes is what Challenges are about.
Mar 17
Europe moves slow. Unless...you design it differently.
Killing bureaucracy:
14 days from deadline to signed contract!
That’s how @SPRIND runs the €125M Frontier AI Challenge.
• no 100-page proposals
• fast selection focused on builders, not writers
This is the mindset behind what’s happening in Paris.
You can complain about Europe.
Or you can apply.
Next station: 🇫🇷 March 19, 2026
luma.com/nfai-paris
Dr. Jano Costard (@jncstrd) is the Head of Challenges at SPRIND, where he designs and runs the agency's innovation competitions... including the €125M Next Frontier AI initiative.
Thanks for the Interview, Jano!
More info: Next-Frontier.ai
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Jano Costard retweeted
How do you stop a rogue drone - without shooting it down? Europe’s innovators are about to show us. Meet the 12 teams of SPRIND Funke ANTI-DRONE RESPONSE 2.0 buff.ly/CnQSA58
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Jano Costard retweeted
SPRIND’s Next Frontier AI!
📍 Paris, Mar 19, 2026 – Secure your spot!
Join our interactive roadshow: meet the team, explore challenge criteria & connect with collaborators before applications open. Europe’s AI talent, now powered for global impact.
buff.ly/37Ir5ZB
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Jano Costard retweeted
Der SPRIND Innovationswettbewerb "Fully Autonomous Flight 2.0" geht in die nächste Runde buff.ly/wSbS8FM
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