Databricks, an artificial intelligence company based in the United States with two Romanians among its founders, is launching an accelerator to finance artificial intelligence startups. The program is part of Databricks Ventures, the venture capital division launched in 2021, which has already invested in startups, including the artificial intelligence search engine Perplexity and the enterprise artificial intelligence assistant startup Glean. With the new accelerator, Databricks wants to go beyond standard venture capital, offering companies mentorship from its executives and helping them grow, in some cases even before the startup launches a product. “We can do this much better than traditional venture capital can,” said CEO Ali Ghodsi for Forbes. Portfolio companies will also have access to Databricks’ venture capital network, including Andreessen Horowitz, Battery Ventures, General Catalyst, NEA, and Menlo Ventures.