Artificial intelligence startup KelAI has secured $5m in seed funding to accelerate development of an autonomous research platform designed for hedge funds and other institutional investors, according to a report by CityBiz. The New York-based company is aiming to modernise the investment research process by replacing fragmented workflows with an AI-native platform capable of generating, testing and monitoring investment ideas autonomously. The platform can also connect to an investment firm’s proprietary datasets, portfolio constraints, risk parameters and historical research, allowing AI agents to carry out research tasks with limited human intervention. However, widespread adoption is likely to depend on whether autonomous AI systems can satisfy institutional investors’ requirements for transparency, auditability and robust risk management. Investment firms typically require research processes to be fully traceable and repeatable, particularly where AI-generated signals influence portfolio decisions.