Project summary

Augmentation Lab is organizing for Summer 2025 (June 15 – August 25, 2025) to host an intensive, transdisciplinary residency. We are an independent R&D community spun our of Media Lab & Harvard. We are inviting a cohort of visionary artists, engineers, and writers. This year's theme, Rhizome Futurism, focuses on a hands-on exploration of interconnected, adaptive, and collectively intelligent systems that model a future where advanced technology, including AGI, demonstrably benefits humanity.

https://www.augmentationlab.org/

We are theorizing about "what if AGI goes right?"; we are dedicated to building tangible prototypes of that future. Participants will develop primarily open-source (FOSS) human augmentation projects across hardware, software, and new media. This Manifund campaign seeks crucial seed funding to kickstart the 2025 residency, which will culminate in a Human Augmentation Summit and a documentary series, showcasing these explorations of an aligned future.

https://www.augmentationlab.org/

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

Our primary goal is to catalyze the development and dissemination of tangible, human-aligned augmentation technologies and the ethical frameworks to guide them. With this initial seed funding, we aim to:

• Launch the 2025 Residency Core:

  • Method: Secure initial operational capacity, begin recruitment for a select cohort, and provide modest seed stipends or project grants to early-committed residents.

  • Output: A foundational cohort ready to begin prototyping human-aligned augmentation projects.

• Initiate "Rhizome Futurism" Explorations:

  • Method: Facilitate early-stage collaborations and workshops focused on interconnected, adaptive, and collectively intelligent system design within the initial resident group.

  • Output: Early-stage project concepts embodying resilience and positive-sum interactions.

• Lay Groundwork for Ethical Frameworks & Broader Impact:

  • Method: Begin curriculum development for ethics integration and secure commitments from initial speakers/mentors. Plan for a Human Augmentation Summit and documentary (scale dependent on further funding).

  • Output: A clear plan for ethical integration and showcasing resident work, contingent on securing additional funding.

This Manifund support will be leveraged to secure larger grants and sponsorships for the full-scale program, as outlined in our broader sponsorship package.

How will this funding be used?

This initial $30,000 in seed funding is crucial for jumpstarting the Summer 2025 residency. It will be allocated to:

• Initial Resident Stipends/Seed Grants (~$15,000 - $20,000): To provide essential early support for a small core group of 5-7 residents, enabling them to commit and begin foundational work for their projects.

• Core Operational & Program Startup Costs (~$7,000 - $10,000): Covering essential administrative tasks, initial marketing for recruitment, securing early speaker commitments, basic workshop materials, and community platform management.

• Leveraging Resources & Partnerships (~$3,000 - $5,000): Small budget for securing initial access to essential shared lab spaces or co-working facilities, potentially through partnerships or subsidized rates, while we seek larger funding for dedicated resources.

This seed funding will enable us to build momentum and demonstrate early progress, which is vital for securing the larger sponsorships (such as those detailed in our full sponsorship package, aiming for Platinum $35k, Gold $15k tiers etc.) needed for the full program vision (e.g., supporting ~20 residents, more extensive lab equipment, larger cohort, full documentary production).

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

• • Team: Augmentation Lab is an established independent R&D community of "philosopher-builders" founded at Harvard with deep roots in the MIT Media Lab ecosystem. Our core team (see https://www.augmentationlab.org/team) has extensive experience in organizing complex technical programs, fostering interdisciplinary communities, and navigating the Cambridge innovation landscape. We are supported by a network of alumni and advisors from academia and industry.

  • Track Record:

    • Successful Residencies: We have run previous iterations of this summer residency, continually refining our model.

    • Alumni Impact: Our alumni are a testament to the program's value. They have:

      • Received backing from Y Combinator, Pillar VC, and other notable investors.

      • Joined leading organizations like Midjourney and Apple.

      • Won prestigious awards like the $100,000 O’Shaughnessy Ventures Fellowship.

      • Been featured in major publications like The New York Times for their viral projects.

      • Launched impactful PhD research at top institutions.

    • High-Caliber Network: We attract leading thinkers. Past speakers include Stephen Wolfram, David Sinclair, Joscha Bach, and Manolis Kellis.

    • Proven Fundraising: We have previously raised over $100,000 in cash and in-kind support from diverse sources like 1517 Fund, True Ventures, GODOT, OpenBCI, Ekkolapto, Neurable, and Magic Leap for past programs.

    • Thriving Community: Our Discord server has 900+ active members, and our summit and events draw significant interest.
      

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

• • Most Likely Causes of Failure (for this initial phase):

    1. Not Reaching Minimum Seed Funding: Inability to secure even this initial 15,000−30,000 would make it very difficult to commit resources to residents or secure necessary early operational capacity for the 2025 cohort.

    2. Inability to Leverage Seed Funding: If this initial funding doesn't help us secure subsequent, larger grants or sponsorships, the 2025 program would have to be drastically scaled down or postponed.

  • Outcomes if this Seed Funding Fails:

    1. Delayed or Severely Curtailed 2025 Residency: Without this kickstart, launching a meaningful 2025 program becomes significantly harder and would rely on fewer resources, impacting the quality and ambition of projects.

    2. Missed Momentum: The opportunity to build on current interest and recruit a strong early cohort for 2025 could be lost.

    3. Reduced Ability to Attract Larger Funders: Demonstrating initial community support and operational capacity via this Manifund grant is key to our broader fundraising strategy.
       

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

Due to the advanced timeline of this year's residency, with recent decisions to run the 2025 cohort, we have yet to secure new funding specifically for this upcoming iteration. Our documented track record of securing over $100,000 for previous programs comes from a mix of venture funds (1517 Fund, True Ventures), foundations (GODOT), and industry partners (OpenBCI, Ekkolapto, Neurable, Magic Leap). We are actively approaching these and new potential sponsors and philanthropic funders for the 2025 program based on our updated sponsorship package, and this Manifund campaign is a critical first step in that process.