What Kinetech Arts does

Kinetech Arts is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by choreographer Daiane Lopes da Silva and physicist Weidong Yang to explore the intersection of dance, science, and technology. The organization operates a portfolio of community programs — weekly Open Labs at ODC Dance Commons, monthly Y-Exchange presentations co-presented with ODC Theater and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, an annual DanceHack festival, full-length performances, and dance classes — that bring together dancers, scientists, musicians, and creative technologists for collaborative experimentation and public-facing performance. Programming is free to attend and primarily serves Bay Area artists, researchers, and general audiences interested in human-machine ecosystems.

Technically, Kinetech Arts builds custom interdisciplinary performance tools rather than commercial software. Documented capabilities include AI-powered 3D pose tracking without wearables (developed with Kineviz), motion-triggered sound instruments hacked from Sony Gametrak controllers using ESP32 microcontrollers sampling at 90 Hz, low-cost wireless biometric (heartbeat) sensors streaming to online servers in real time, AI Sensorium performance systems exploring machine learning and the body, and collaborative AI hallucination experiments via Jamboard Deepdreaming. The technology stack spans computer vision, generative AI (including GPT-3 for collaborative storytelling), multimodal audio-video sensing, and autonomous-agent research for AI choreography — all oriented toward live performance and somatic research rather than productized systems.

The business model is nonprofit philanthropy: the organization is funded by tax-deductible individual donations (accepted via PayPal), employer matching through Benevity, and project grants from Bay Area arts funders including the Creative Work Fund (Walter and Elise Haas Fund / Hewlett Foundation), the Rainin Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Kinetech Arts holds Home Company status at ODC Theater and is a resident organization at the Lucas Artists Residency Program. Geographic operations center on the San Francisco Bay Area, with documented international performance activity in Brazil, Berlin, and Italy. The organization has produced 12 full evening performances since founding, and its programs have featured hundreds of artists and scientists from around the world.

Name

Kinetech Arts

Legal name

Kinetech Arts

Website

https://kinetecharts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kinetech Arts is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free community programs — weekly Open Labs, monthly Y-Exchange presentations, an annual DanceHack festival, and performances — uniting dancers, scientists, musicians, and technologists to explore the intersection of movement, science, and technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Programs

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Performing arts programs
• Dance technology integration
• Art science collaboration
• Interdisciplinary performance art
• Contemporary dance education

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID #82-0882627), Kinetech Arts relies primarily on tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. The organization accepts donations through PayPal and promotes employer matching gift programs through Benevity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kinetech Arts is a nonprofit organization that produces free community-based programs combining dance, science, and technology. Its offerings include weekly Open Lab experimental sessions, monthly Y-Exchange artist/scientist presentations, the annual DanceHack festival, full-length multimedia performances, and contemporary dance classes, all hosted primarily at ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco.

Product overview

Kinetech Arts is a non-profit organization (not a software product company) that offers a portfolio of arts programs including Open Lab (weekly experimental gatherings), Y-Exchange (monthly art-science presentations), DanceHack (annual festival), performances, and dance classes. These programs unite the performing arts, science, and tech communities through immersive live performances and interdisciplinary collaborations. The organization does not sell software products but creates platforms for innovative ideas at the intersection of movement, science, and technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DanceHack: An annual festival where movement artists, hackers, engineers, technologists and researchers come together for a weekend of knowledge exchange, workshops, collaboration, and mini-performances at the intersection of dance and technology.
• Y-Exchange
• Open Lab

Products and services

• Open Lab Weekly experimental gathering held Wednesdays 7-8:30pm at ODC Dance Commons where dancers, scientists, musicians, and technologists collaborate on somatic, scientific, and technological research through hands-on experimentation with AI, motion capture, sound design, and interdisciplinary art projects. Free, no registration required, running continuously since 2013.
• Y-Exchange Monthly public platform (last Wednesday of the month, 7-8:30pm) featuring artists and scientists discussing intersections of performing arts, technology, and science. Co-presented with ODC Theater and Djerassi Resident Artists Program, running since 2014 and having featured hundreds of participants from around the world. Free to attend.
• DanceHack Annual 3-day festival where movement artists, hackers, engineers, technologists, and researchers exchange knowledge and investigate emerging questions at the intersection of dance and technology through workshops, collaborative experiments, and spontaneous mini-performances. The 2026 edition is scheduled for February 20-22 at UC Berkeley.
• Performances Full-length multimedia performances featuring Bay Area dancers, interdisciplinary artists, musicians, and digital artists, exploring the human-machine ecosystem. Since 2013, Kinetech Arts has created 12 full evening performances staged at venues including ODC Theater.
• Dance Classes Contemporary dance and contact improvisation classes taught by artistic directors Daiane Lopes da Silva and Weidong Yang, held at ODC and City Dance studios in San Francisco.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 full evening performances created since 2013
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Djerassi Resident Artists ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Co-presents monthly Y-Exchange events alongside ODC Theater and Kinetech Arts since 2014. Provides residency opportunities for artists involved with the organization.
• ODC TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome Company relationship with ODC Theater. Co-presents Y-Exchange monthly events with Kinetech Arts and Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Primary venue for performances and weekly Open Lab hosting.
• Lucas Artists Residency ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident artist program hosting Kinetech Arts co-founders. Part of Montalvo Arts Center.
• 836M GallerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery residency venue for Kinetech Arts. Hosted Open Lab sessions and performances including Sublimation research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ODC Theater: Kinetech Arts' Home Company venue and co-presenter of Y-Exchange; a San Francisco-based presenting and producing organization for contemporary dance with overlapping programming and audience base. Directly comparable as a Bay Area dance presenter with similar nonprofit structure.
• Headlands Center for the Arts: Bay Area residency partner for Daiane Lopes da Silva; a nonprofit artist residency program supporting experimental work across dance, music, and visual arts. Comparable as a regional residency institution fostering interdisciplinary performance practice.
• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: Legendary NYC nonprofit supporting experimental, cross-disciplinary performance including dance-tech and embodied research. Comparable as a nonprofit presenter nurturing avant-garde and technology-integrated performance work.
• Djerassi Resident Artists Program: Co-presenter of Y-Exchange and a long-standing partner; a Bay Area-based artist residency program supporting experimental choreography and interdisciplinary work. Directly comparable as a nonprofit that nurtures interdisciplinary performing artists.
• Counterpulse: San Francisco nonprofit presenting experimental contemporary dance and performance, with overlapping Bay Area audience. Comparable as a same-city, same-scale nonprofit focused on experimental performance practice.
• The Kitchen: New York-based nonprofit presenting experimental dance, performance, and media art with strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and technology-integrated work. Comparable as an established experimental performance presenter of similar nonprofit structure.
• Lucas Artists Residency Program (Montalvo Arts Center): Hosts Kinetech Arts co-founders as resident artists; a Northern California residency program supporting experimental, cross-disciplinary performing arts. Comparable as a residency-driven platform for interdisciplinary performance makers.

Broad incumbents

• EMPAC (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, RPI): University-affiliated venue commissioning and presenting dance, music, and immersive technology performances. Comparable as an established institution supporting experimental, technology-integrated performance work.
• Ars Electronica: Austrian institution and the global benchmark for art-technology programming, including dance-tech, AI art, and bio-art festivals. Comparable as a much larger, internationally recognized nonprofit working at the art-science-technology intersection KA occupies.

Emerging players

• The Chocolate Factory Theater: Long Island City nonprofit supporting experimental dance and performance with an artist-residency model. Comparable as a small, mission-driven nonprofit platform for experimental performance makers working at the edges of form and technology.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KinetechArts
• Facebookfacebook.com/kinetecharts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kinetecharts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kinetech Arts