Diverse AI

What Diverse AI does

Diverse AI is a UK-based Community Interest Company (CIC) and non-profit founded in 2023 to promote diversity in artificial intelligence through community building, education, and applied research. It operates a free membership model with a Slack community of 600+ members and claims to have reached 2,000+ people through 19+ hosted events.

The organization's core technical output is the Diverse Spectrum dataset, a 7-million-image collection curated to address representation gaps in computer vision training data. Its work sits at the intersection of AI ethics, dataset curation, and inclusive AI design, with research activity spanning generative AI, computer vision, and participatory design methods. Research and partnerships are led by named individuals including Ruth Ikwu (research) and Oriana Medlicott (partnerships), with advisory support from Kerensa Jennings.

Diverse AI is funded through donations, corporate sponsorship, and research grants, and has publicly stated a £12 million fundraising target to scale operations. The organization is volunteer-run with a stated 9-person team and has built institutional partnerships with Salesforce, EY, Dentsu, the Alan Turing Institute, BRAID UK, and Energy Systems Catapult. Founders Toju Duke (CEO) and Steph Wright (co-founder, since stepped back) and team members such as Sidrah Hassan have received industry recognition for advancing responsible and inclusive AI practices.

Name

Diverse AI

Legal name

Diverse AI CIC

Website

https://diverse-ai.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Diverse AI is a UK-based non-profit Community Interest Company founded in 2023 that promotes diversity in artificial intelligence through community building, education, and research, including a 7-million-image dataset for more representative computer vision training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Diversity Community Organization

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Bias, Fairness & Non-Discrimination Testing (HDAAAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bias, Fairness & Representativeness Testing for Datasets (HDAAALAK), Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG), AI & Emerging Technology Literacy (EDAAAIAJ), AI Tutoring Systems (Conversational Tutors, Homework Helpers) (EDAFAFAC)

Keywords

• AI diversity initiatives
• Community interest company
• AI ethics education
• Diverse image datasets
• Inclusive AI research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Diverse AI is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that relies on donations to fund its operations. The organization is working to raise £12M towards a more diverse, equitable and accessible AI future. Donations are accepted at various levels (£10, £25, £50, £100) with options for custom amounts, one-time or recurring (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual). Donors can also opt to cover transaction fees.
2. Sponsorship and Partnership: Organizations sponsor events, programs, and initiatives. Sponsors provide venue space, refreshments, and financial support for events such as hackathons, workshops, and mixers.
3. Research Grants and Fellowships: Research projects receive funding support, including the Inclusive Futures fellowship project led by Dr Sanjay Sharma from the University of Warwick, funded by BRAID UK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Diverse AI is a UK-based Community Interest Company that operates as a non-profit membership organization focused on promoting diversity in AI. It delivers a free membership programme with Slack community access, educational resources on AI ethics, research outputs including the Diverse Spectrum diverse image dataset, and a calendar of events including workshops, hackathons, and networking mixers. The organisation works through three pillars: Community Empowerment, Education and Skills, and Research, supporting diverse AI professionals, underrepresented communities, and the broader research community.

Product overview

Diverse AI is a community interest company operating as a membership organization focused on promoting diversity in the AI field. Its offerings include a free membership programme with community access via Slack and events, a membership directory showcasing diverse AI talent, and research products including the Diverse Spectrum diverse image dataset. The organization runs education programmes with curated learning resources on Generative AI, AI Ethics, and Computer Vision, and hosts regular events including webinars, workshops, and hackathons. Core activity pillars are Community Empowerment, Research (including the Inclusive Futures Fellowship and Critical AI Cultures programme), and Education & Skills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diverse AI Membership Programme Free membership offering community access, events, education participation, and networking opportunities for diverse AI professionals and enthusiasts.
• Diverse Spectrum Diverse Image Dataset A community-curated visual dataset developed using participatory methods and responsible data collection to represent underrepresented cultures and communities in AI systems, with a 7 million image target spanning 35 countries across Africa, South and East Asia.
• AI Education and Skills Programme Curated learning journeys, resource collections, and workshops making AI education accessible for underrepresented communities, including computer vision and AI ethics resources.
• Curated Learning Resource Collections Hand-picked free AI courses and articles from leading educational platforms covering Generative AI, AI Ethics, and Computer Vision, curated for accessibility.
• Diverse AI Events Programme Regular events including webinars, workshops, hackathons, launch events, and networking mixers promoting diversity and inclusion in AI across UK cities.
• AI and Energy Hackathon Inclusive hackathon exploring how AI can help make the UK's energy transition more equitable, partnered with Energy Systems Catapult.
• Membership Directory Public directory showcasing diverse AI talent for speaking, research collaboration, and hiring, listing the 600+ community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2000+ people globally impacted since June 2023 launch
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CodeClancoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 June 2023Venue host and supporter for Edinburgh Launch event on 28 June 2023. Part of Turing Fest.
• Radically DigitalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 June 2023Event sponsor for Diverse AI's London Launch event on 21 June 2023. Provided photography services for the launch event.
• Turing FestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for Edinburgh activities; Diverse AI Edinburgh launch was part of Turing Fest.
• SalesforcecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided headquarters venue for Introduction to AI Workshop in London, February 2024. Supporting AI education initiatives.
• EY (Ernst & Young)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Research Mixer event in July 2023, providing venue (EY London) and refreshments for in-person research mixer.
• DentsucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided venue space for Diverse AI Summer Mixer 2024 at Dentsu offices in London. Supporting networking events.
• BigSparkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported Summer Mixer 2025 event, providing venue facilitation and networking activities. Women in tech organization.
• Energy Systems CatapultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for AI + Energy Hackathon in Birmingham, November 2025. Provided challenge themes around energy flexibility and inclusive AI solutions.
• UWE Bristol (University of the West of England)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Critical AI Cultures dialogue event, part of Patterns in Practice research project funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council.
• Gate OnecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted 'Is AI Beneficial to Society?' panel discussion during London Data Week 2024 at Havas Village/Gate One offices.
• The Alan Turing InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner. Diverse AI co-organized Developing Critical AI Cultures event as part of Alan Turing Institute's AI UK Fringe 2024 programme.
• BRAID UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for Inclusive Futures fellowship project led by Dr Sanjay Sharma. Also partnered on Critical AI Literacy Workshop in Birmingham 2025.
• Women of AI AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for International Women's Day AI Summit 2026. Co-hosting the summit to celebrate women in AI.
• The Data LabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for 'Celebrating different paths into AI' event in Edinburgh, November 2023, targeting The Data Lab Academy students.
• Open Data InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiverse AI adheres to ODI's data ethics guidelines for responsible dataset development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Women in Machine Learning (WiML): Community-led organization running workshops, mentorship, and networking events for women in machine learning. Direct peer targeting underrepresented groups in AI through community, events, and education.
• AI4ALL: Non-profit creating pipelines for underrepresented talent into AI through education programs, summer camps, and university partnerships. Comparable community+education model targeting diverse AI talent development.
• Black in AI: Global community of Black researchers and practitioners in AI, organizing workshops, mentorship, and events at major ML conferences. Direct peer in the 'diverse voices in AI' community category with matching event-driven and membership-led model.
• Women of AI Agency: Community and event organization celebrating women in AI, co-hosting the International Women's Day AI Summit 2026 with Diverse AI. Direct peer in the women's representation in AI community category.

Others

• The Alan Turing Institute: UK national institute for data science and AI, with explicit programmes on responsible and inclusive AI (including BRAID UK). Partner/funder of Diverse AI's research and a comparable UK hub for AI ethics and diversity research.
• BRAID UK: UK-wide research programme funding responsible AI research and inclusive futures fellowships. Direct partner of Diverse AI and a peer/ecosystem actor in the responsible AI funding landscape.

Broad incumbents

• AI Now Institute: US-based research institute producing high-impact research on the social implications of AI, including bias, diversity, and accountability. Comparable as a mission-driven organization producing research and convening communities around AI harms.
• Partnership on AI: US-based multi-stakeholder non-profit convening organizations across tech, academia, and civil society to address AI ethics, fairness, and inclusion. Directly comparable mission to drive responsible AI outcomes through community, research, and policy work.
• Mozilla Common Voice: Mozilla-led initiative crowdsourcing diverse open datasets for speech recognition, with a strong community participatory research model. Directly comparable as a diverse dataset project driven by a global community of contributors.

Emerging players

• Algorithmic Justice League: Non-profit combining art, research, and advocacy to highlight bias in AI, particularly facial recognition. Comparable focus on bias, representation, and underrepresented communities in AI datasets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diverse-ai

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Diverse AI