In 2025, Liquid AI, an MIT spin-off, has introduced what could be a game-changer for startups and enterprises alike, enterprise-grade training for small AI models. As an entrepreneur myself, I know the challenges of balancing performance, privacy, and budget when adopting AI tools. Liquid AI’s approach, which is centered on compact, efficient models designed for on-device performance, offers a meaningful alternative to the hefty, cloud-reliant AI systems dominating the market.
This article unpacks Liquid AI's blueprint, explores why it matters, and provides practical tips for incorporating small-model AI into your business strategy.
Why Small Models Are the Big Conversation Now
Large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI's GPT series or Google’s Gemini have been making headlines, but their usage comes with higher costs, privacy issues, and cloud dependency. Liquid AI is betting on smaller, on-device models to address these challenges.
Their technology focuses on making AI accessible not by scaling bigger but by making it smarter and leaner. For example, with Liquid Foundation Models 2 (LFM2), businesses could deploy GPT-4-level AI capabilities on devices as modest as smartphones or laptops. This eliminates the need for constant cloud connectivity, meaning better data privacy and reduced operational costs for companies.
The Blueprint: What Liquid AI Is Offering
This release isn’t just another AI model drop. Liquid AI has published a full framework for designing, training, and deploying small AI models. Here are the standout elements:
- Architecture: The models are built using Liquid AI's proprietary "liquid neural network" technique, prioritizing efficiency in both training and deployment.
- Scope: Models range from 350M to about 2.6B parameters, suitable for tasks typically requiring much larger systems.
- On-Device Edge: Created to function without cloud access, ideal for industries prioritizing data sovereignty.
- Customizability: Companies can train their unique versions of these models tailored to their own hardware needs.
A pitch this sharp reminds me of every discussion I’ve had with developers in my Fe/male Switch gamepreneurship program, where practicality often trumps grandeur.
How Does This Impact Female Entrepreneurs?
As a female entrepreneur, I see the potential for small models to level the playing field for underfunded startups. Running efficient AI directly on a smartphone could enable quick deployment of customer support bots, marketing optimizers, or inventory trackers at just a fraction of the cost of full-scale LLMs.
Statistically, women-led startups already face funding challenges compared to their male counterparts. Adopting lightweight yet potent AI tools like Liquid AI gives female founders a chance to innovate without spending tens of thousands on cloud-based services.
How to Implement Small-Model AI in Your Business
Here’s a guide to get started:
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Evaluate Your Needs
Start small. For example, if you're running a boutique e-commerce store, focus on models that could enhance chatbot support or recommend products based on limited user data. -
Test Environmentally-Friendly AI
Liquid AI eliminates heavy reliance on GPUs and cloud data centers, using resources sparingly. This makes it an environmentally responsible choice, a growing priority for European businesses. -
Target Fast, Local Execution
If latency is a recurring issue in your apps or tools, switching to on-device AI could be game-changing. Think of real-time customer service or instant translations. -
Look for Grants or Subsides
Across Europe, there are grant programs supporting AI adoption in startups. Search for available funding to minimize your financial risks when testing AI-based solutions. -
Experiment with Liquid AI's Free Resources
The company has released part of its blueprint, allowing businesses to explore its training design. Use this as a foundation to test their claims before going all in.
Common Mistakes When Adopting New AI Tools
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Ignoring Privacy Needs
If you’re still uploading sensitive data to public cloud services, you’re risking customer trust. On-device models bypass this issue entirely. -
Jumping to Vendor-Reliant APIs
Proprietary APIs often lock you into long-term use with scaling costs tied to usage. -
Overlooking Hardware Compatibility
Liquid AI models are meant to run efficiently, but you’ll need compatible infrastructure on your end, another reason to trial before committing.
What Liquid AI’s Blueprint Teaches Us
For women in startups, the lesson is clear: technology doesn’t always need to grow bigger to grow better. Liquid AI’s work exemplifies how to rethink AI constraints while staying practical. Rather than chasing a concept of artificial intelligence that demands the latest expensive tech stack, entrepreneurs can focus on scaling sustainable, lean AI that aligns with their real-world challenges.
Here’s the Takeaway for Entrepreneurs
If you're in a bootstrapping phase, like I was when launching Fe/male Switch, adopting small-model AI could be a crucial move. The costs are lower, the setup is flexible, and the implementation is quicker. Tools like Liquid AI bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI and everyday usability, catering to innovative female-led startups in Europe that crave impactful solutions without breaking their budgets.
For more information about Liquid AI's blueprint, explore VentureBeat's article on Liquid AI small models or their official site where you can dive into their product lineup. This is the kind of trend that motivated me to bootstrap and focus on cross-disciplinary breakthroughs. It’s time for you to leverage these emerging tools as a way of creating practical solutions tailored to your audiences. Why wait for innovation to trickle down? Take charge, explore small models, and redefine how your business uses AI.
FAQ
1. What is Liquid AI?
Liquid AI is an MIT spin-off that focuses on creating compact, efficient AI models for enterprise use, allowing AI to run directly on devices like smartphones or laptops without relying on cloud infrastructure. Learn more about Liquid AI
2. What advantages do small AI models offer over large language models?
Small AI models require less computational power, enhance privacy by running on local devices, and significantly reduce costs compared to large, cloud-reliant AI systems. Discover the advantages of small AI models
3. What are Liquid Foundation Models 2 (LFM2)?
LFM2 is a series of small AI models that provide GPT-4-level capabilities on devices with limited hardware like smartphones, allowing faster, private, and cost-effective AI deployment. Explore Liquid Foundation Models 2
4. How does Liquid AI improve efficiency in AI model deployment?
Liquid AI uses a "liquid neural network" approach, optimizing model architecture for low-power and on-device execution, reducing dependency on expensive GPUs and cloud servers.
5. How customizable are Liquid AI's models?
Liquid AI's models can be adapted and trained to meet the specific hardware and operational needs of different businesses, making them highly customizable for diverse use cases. Read more about Liquid AI's customization
6. Why do small AI models benefit female entrepreneurs?
Small AI models lower barriers to entry for startups by reducing costs and operational complexity, enabling time- and budget-constrained female entrepreneurs to implement AI solutions more easily. Learn how small AI models empower startups
7. How do Liquid AI models address privacy concerns?
By ensuring that AI models run entirely on local devices, Liquid AI eliminates the need to upload sensitive data to the cloud, enhancing data privacy and compliance with regulations.
8. Are Liquid AI models environmentally friendly?
Yes, these models minimize energy consumption by reducing reliance on large-scale data centers and can be executed using minimal hardware, promoting sustainable AI use.
9. What industries benefit most from Liquid AI's on-device models?
Industries like retail, healthcare, and finance that prioritize data sovereignty, real-time processing, and cost-efficiency can benefit significantly from Liquid AI’s local execution models.
10. How can businesses start using Liquid AI's models?
Businesses can begin by accessing Liquid AI's free resources and exploring its framework to test and train models before full implementation. Explore Liquid AI's resources
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
