Yupp AI Raises $33 Million Led by A16z Crypto

Yupp, an artificial intelligence startup that combines AI model evaluation with cryptocurrency-based incentives, has emerged from stealth mode after closing a $33 million seed funding round. The funding was led by A16z Crypto, the crypto-focused arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Yupp reported that the fundraising was completed last year, providing the resources needed to build and refine its platform quietly over the past six months.

Yupp AI Raises $33 Million Led by A16z Crypto

Yupp AI Raises $33 Million Led by c Crypto

In addition to A16z Crypto, the seed round saw participation from Coinbase Ventures and several notable angel investors. Among them were Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, Cred CEO Kunal Shah and Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal. The range of investors reflects both the interest in the AI sector and the growing intersection of artificial intelligence and crypto technologies.

Yupp has developed a platform where users can compare responses generated by a wide selection of AI models. The company reports that its platform currently offers access to more than 500 models, including widely known ones such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and Llama, as well as many lesser-known text and image models. Users provide feedback on the quality and accuracy of AI-generated responses, and in return, they earn credits that can be converted to fiat currencies like USD, euro, and over 20 other currencies.

Yupp AI Raises $33 Million Led by A16z Crypto

Crypto Payments and Web3 Infrastructure

The platform integrates with payment providers such as Stripe, PayPal and Coinbase to support the reward system. According to Yupp co-founder and CEO Pankaj Gupta, the company has also adopted crypto rails, allowing for instant payments through stablecoins on the Base Ethernet L2 and Solana blockchains. This integration reflects Yupp’s broader goal of leveraging web3 infrastructure to enhance transparency and efficiency in rewarding users for their participation.

Yupp also announced the beta launch of its VIBE (Vibe Intelligence BEnchmark) Score. This new feature serves as a leaderboard that ranks AI models based on aggregated user feedback. The VIBE Score takes into account a range of factors, including confidence intervals, speed, latency and cost, to provide a comprehensive measure of each model’s performance. The company has shared additional details about the methodology behind the VIBE Score on its official blog.

Yupp AI Raises $33 Million Led by A16z Crypto

Final Thoughts

Yupp’s emergence from stealth with significant backing from leading investors highlights the growing focus on the convergence of AI technologies and crypto systems. By offering a platform where users can actively participate in evaluating AI models while earning rewards through both traditional and crypto payments, Yupp aims to contribute to the broader development of AI systems and community-driven benchmarks. The company’s next steps will likely focus on refining its platform, expanding its model offerings and further integrating web3 features to strengthen user engagement and trust.