Betaworks just graduated its latest cohort of 10 startups from its prestigious Camp program, each focused on reimagining how we interact with AI. The 13-week accelerator, which previously launched success stories like Hugging Face, centered this batch around "Interfaces" - companies designing the next generation of AI user experiences that go far beyond traditional apps and screens.
Betaworks has been quietly incubating the future of human-AI interaction, and the results just went public. The New York-based venture fund's latest Camp cohort showcases 10 startups that are completely rethinking how we'll interact with artificial intelligence - and some of their approaches are genuinely wild.
The theme "Interfaces" might sound mundane, but the companies emerging from this 13-week program are anything but ordinary. We're talking about startups working on brain-computer interfaces, scent-generating AI, and even computers that function entirely without traditional apps. It's a far cry from the typical AI chatbot or productivity tool flooding the market.
Nubrain, founded by Priyanka Jain and Ingo Marquardt, is perhaps the most ambitious of the bunch. They're developing EEG technology to translate human thoughts directly into speech, text, and images. While brain-computer interfaces have been around for years in research labs, Nubrain is betting they can make the technology commercially viable for everyday use.
Then there's Telepath, which is building what they call "a computer built with AI and no apps." Founded by Stephen Hood, Josh Whiting, and Rupert Manfredi, the concept challenges our fundamental assumptions about how computers should work. Instead of downloading apps and managing files, users interact with an AI that handles everything in the background.
Patina takes things in an entirely different sensory direction. Sean Raspet and Laura Sisson are combining protein folding, scent receptors, and graph neural networks to create what they call "scent photographs." The technology could revolutionize everything from perfume creation to memory enhancement.
The cohort also includes more immediately practical solutions. Primitive, founded by Kasey Klines, lets users voice-dump ideas that automatically transform into organized task lists and integrate with tools like Notion. Feather by ShaoBo Zhang and Marco Yu creates automated workflows for tedious tasks like apartment hunting.
Several startups are tackling focus and productivity through novel interfaces. Intension, founded by Conor Sanchez-O'Shea and Gabriel Duemichen, helps people concentrate by intelligently removing distractions from their desktop environment while tracking attention patterns.
The consumer applications are equally intriguing. Nora, a browser extension by Sid Banothu, tracks shopping habits in ways that could reshape e-commerce. Presq lets influencers upload data to design manufacturable footwear, with plans to expand into eyewear and home goods.
My Place by Orange, founded by Helen Huang, creates realistic life simulation games, while the still-stealth Putty, led by Kevin Chang, is working on what Betaworks describes as "memory systems, ambient interfaces" and "technology fitted to the more sporadic rhythm of life."
This cohort represents Betaworks' continued evolution from its early days as a Twitter-focused incubator. The firm has steadily moved deeper into AI, with previous Camp themes focusing on application layers and AI agents. The track record speaks for itself - past graduates include AI powerhouse Hugging Face and social media platform Graze Social.
What's particularly striking about this batch is how they're moving beyond screen-based interactions entirely. While most AI companies focus on better chatbots or more efficient workflows, these startups are exploring scent, brain signals, ambient computing, and physical product creation.
The timing couldn't be better. As AI capabilities rapidly advance, the bottleneck increasingly becomes the interface between humans and these powerful systems. Voice assistants, chatbots, and traditional apps all feel increasingly inadequate for the complexity of modern AI.
Applications for this cohort opened in June, with the program running from August through the November 4th Demo Day. The 13-week intensive format has proven successful for Betaworks, which launched the program in 2016 and runs it twice annually.
While most AI startups chase incremental improvements to existing interfaces, this Betaworks cohort is betting on entirely new ways for humans and AI to interact. From brain-computer interfaces to scent generation, these 10 companies represent genuine attempts to solve the interface problem that's becoming AI's next major bottleneck. Whether these experimental approaches find mainstream adoption remains to be seen, but Betaworks' track record with graduates like Hugging Face suggests at least a few of these interface pioneers could reshape how we think about human-AI interaction entirely.
