Syncurrent, a Marquette-based artificial intelligence-driven startup whose CEO is Northern Michigan University alumnus Dhruv Patel, has been named an inaugural AI 50 Award winner by the Center for Public Sector AI for advancing artificial intelligence in public service. Syncurrent has built a platform that significantly shortens the time it takes for local and tribal governments to identify and qualify for grant funding.
Patel graduated from NMU in 2022 with a bachelor of science degree in individualized studies. He co-founded Syncurrent the same year with fellow Chicago native and former high school classmate Matthew Jaquez.
“This award is a clear signal to Syncurrent that our mission of supporting nearly the hundred thousand municipalities and counties, as well as the 574 Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, is paramount,” said Patel in a press release. “These institutions are foundational pillars to society, yet until Syncurrent, they have not had the support they very much need.”
According to a previous Innovate Marquette feature story on the business, when entities sign up on the Syncurrent platform, they enter basic information such as the name of the government and department. The platform's AI then indexes the information against a set of federal and state grant databases, then uses complex filtering models to present only the most relevant opportunities to users.
This process reduces what typically takes a team of people several weeks to complete to just a few minutes, allowing governments to efficiently secure the funding they need for various projects such as schools, roads, healthcare and other essential community services.
“As we talk with public agencies across the country, we're continually impressed by the creativity and impact AI leaders are delivering,” said Teri Takai, chief programs officer at the Center for Digital Government. “The AI 50 winners reflect the progress we're seeing at the ground level, and a path forward for others to follow.”
The AI 50, a new recognition program from the Center for Public Sector AI, highlights individuals and organizations making significant contributions to AI adoption and advancement in public sector agencies. Public and private sector participants focused on public service are eligible to submit.
The Center for Public Sector AI posted the following statement on its website in announcing the AI 50 award winners:
"It was just a few years ago that artificial intelligence hit the mainstream. Since then, government has bet big on AI, from automating workflows and building chatbots to standing up AI working groups and appointing AI officials. To acknowledge that tidal wave of innovation, the Center for Public Sector AI is honoring both individuals and organizations—from state and local agencies as well as the private sector—with the inaugural AI 50 Awards. Winners were selected from a talented pool of nominees offered up by their colleagues and partners."
This recognition comes on the heels of Syncurrent's recently announced partnership with the State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Michigan Municipal League to integrate Syncurrent's AI infrastructure into the "MI Funding Hub," a centralized AI-powered state grant system. Also, through a partnership with the Department of the Interior, version 2 of the Syncurrent platform is available for free to all 574 Federally Recognized Tribal Nations for the next 10 years.
Learn more about Syncurrent here.