In a groundbreaking moment, Nous Research has introduced Nomos 1, an open-source AI platform that has made considerable waves in the world of academia and artificial intelligence. Nomos 1 achieved a second-place ranking in the 2024 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, an exam infamous for its extreme difficulty. This AI model scored 87 out of a possible 120 points, surpassing thousands of bright undergraduate minds globally. As a female entrepreneur deeply involved in tech and education, I find this news thrilling because of what it represents for emerging technologies and the way we can approach knowledge dissemination, particularly in niche fields.
The Story Behind Nomos 1’s Achievement
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition isn’t your average test, far from it. Participants face 12 problems, split into two 3-hour sessions. These problems require not only precision but creative mathematical reasoning. While the median score for participants is near rock-bottom, Nomos 1 demonstrated an ability to operate at near-human elite levels. The AI’s performance not only placed it second out of nearly 4,000 participants, but also came extraordinarily close to the top score of 90.
Developed as an open-source AI, this project speaks to a core value in the startup ecosystem: accessibility. By opening Nomos 1’s codebase, Nous Research encourages collaboration, iteration, and application beyond academic circles, putting powerful tools into the hands of those who may have otherwise been excluded.
Why This Matters for Entrepreneurs
For people like me, who balance entrepreneurship with a passion for education and disruptive tech, moments like this light a spark. Open-source AI has the power to shift paradigms across multiple industries. Nomos 1 proved that even fields with significant barriers, like competitive mathematics, are no exception. Here’s why this matters:
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Equalizing Expertise: Open-source tools make elite-level analytical resources available to smaller businesses, educators, or solopreneurs without deep pockets. A scrappy startup now has the same access to computational reasoning in mathematics as large corporations.
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Encourages STEM Involvement: Women, in particular, could benefit as they explore STEM fields with increased confidence. Organizations or communities that focus on supporting female founders can now bring AI-enhanced opportunities like Nomos into their educational hubs.
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Market Validation: The success of Nomos 1 proves there’s a niche for AI tools focusing on specialized problems. Entrepreneurs, take note, problem-solving AI doesn’t just belong to general-purpose systems like ChatGPT or DALL-E.
What Startups Can Learn From Nomos 1
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Scalability Is Key: Nous Research went beyond proof of concept, they scaled intellectual reasoning to practical uses like completing one of the world’s toughest exams. Female founders can replicate such thinking by asking: “Can this idea scale to solve high-impact problems?”
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Transparency Builds Trust: Open sourcing Nomos 1 was not just a technological decision, it was also strategic. When you release tools openly, you enable partnerships that extend your brand and push innovation further than what a lone startup could achieve.
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Focus on Your Niche: By tackling mathematical reasoning, a targeted field, Nomos 1 has carved out a credible reputation. Early-stage startups often fail because they attempt to "cure all diseases." Instead, learn from this focus and work toward solving specific, underserved problems.
A Step-By-Step Guide for Female Founders: Leveraging Open-Source AI
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Identify a Problem Space: Look for niche problems where existing solutions are either inefficient, inaccessible, or simply non-existent.
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Explore Platforms: Tools like Hugging Face are fantastic for hunting AI-based models. For example, you can find Nomos 1 on Hugging Face, download it, and test integrations with your project.
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Iterate Publicly: Use your website and social media channels to share updates about how you are using open-source tools and how potential collaborators can get involved.
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Collaborate With Communities: Engage with GitHub contributors, Reddit forums, or startup slack groups. Scaling through contributions can save R&D time dramatically.
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Think Beyond Commercial ROI: Some initiatives, like opening AI accessibility in education or healthcare, may come with societal impacts that are just as rewarding as any financial return.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring Documentation: Without proper documentation, your AI project can quickly become a headache. Startups using Nomos 1 as inspiration should closely examine its codebase and commit to clear, user-friendly documentation.
- Underestimating Time for Integration: While open-source tools are accessible, customizing and embedding them effectively takes work. Never assume the process is plug-and-play.
- Failing to Bring Experts on Board: If math isn’t your main area of expertise, that’s fine. Collaborate with experts who can guide your integration efforts. In my role, I’ve found that leaning on subject-matter specialists is humbling but necessary.
Lessons For Female Entrepreneurs
Startups like mine, where mentoring women is integrated into the company’s DNA, can observe projects such as Nomos 1 to push female-led innovation in STEM and AI. Challenges facing women, like access to technical training or overcoming gender biases, can be mitigated by open-source contributions tailored toward diverse and inclusive solutions. Think of how an AI-enhanced way of learning complex subjects could inspire the next generation of female engineers and mathematicians!
Being in an entrepreneurial community, I also see how having these resources levels the playing field. Many women-led startups face financial constraints that put expansive R&D efforts out of reach. Free, advanced AI tools allow startups to compete globally without sacrificing equity.
Wrapping It Up
Nomos 1 is less about the “wow” of beating humans at math and more about what it signals for the future. If AI can crack something like the William Lowell Putnam exam, it can rearchitect industries, empower small startups, and revolutionize education accessibility. And, for women in Europe, I say this sincerely, it puts control in your hands.
Imagine the possibilities. Explore open-source AI, test its boundaries, and take bold risks. Much like how my own organization combined gamification with entrepreneurship tools, integrating AI opens up creative paths you might not have considered. Now is the time to reshape not only the economy but also society, one creative solution at a time.
Women, start where you stand, because the future is waiting, for all of us.
FAQ
1. What is Nomos 1, and what was its recent achievement?
Nomos 1 is an open-source AI developed by Nous Research. It recently achieved second place in the 2024 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, scoring 87 out of 120 points, a performance nearly on par with the top human participant. Read more about Nomos 1’s achievement
2. What is the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition?
The Putnam is one of the world’s most challenging undergraduate mathematics competitions. Participants face 12 complex problems over two 3-hour sessions, requiring exceptional mathematical ingenuity. Understand the difficulty of the Putnam Math Competition
3. How does Nomos 1’s score compare with human participants in the Putnam exam?
Nomos 1 scored 87 out of 120, ranking second among nearly 4,000 human participants. The top human contestant scored 90 points, while the median score was just 2. Explore Nomos 1’s math results
4. What makes Nomos 1 unique as an AI model?
Nomos 1 is built as an open-source AI, allowing developers, educators, and researchers worldwide to access and customize it. This approach promotes collaboration and accessibility for practical applications beyond academia. Learn more about the open-source nature of Nomos 1
5. Why is Nomos 1’s achievement significant for AI?
This accomplishment showcases AI’s ability to perform at near-human levels in highly specialized, complex fields like competitive mathematics, opening doors for AI applications in scientific problem-solving. Discover the implications of Nomos 1’s success
6. How can startups or entrepreneurs benefit from Nomos 1?
Nomos 1 demonstrates how open-source AI tools can help smaller organizations access elite mathematical problem-solving capabilities, leveling the playing field against larger corporations. See how Nomos 1 benefits startups
7. Where can developers or educators access Nomos 1?
Nomos 1 is available on platforms like Hugging Face, where it can be downloaded for testing, research, and integration into various projects. Access Nomos 1 on Hugging Face
8. How does open-source innovation like Nomos 1 impact STEM education?
Open-source projects like Nomos 1 foster inclusivity and accessibility, particularly in STEM fields, empowering underrepresented groups, such as women, to explore advanced technologies confidently. Learn about Nomos 1’s impact on STEM education
9. Why do open-source initiatives like Nomos 1 matter for future AI development?
Open-source tools encourage transparency, community-driven innovation, and the democratization of cutting-edge AI technologies, making them available to a larger audience. Understand the importance of open-source AI
10. What should startups focus on when using AI innovations like Nomos 1?
Startups should identify niche problems, collaborate with communities, ensure strong documentation, and focus on scalability to maximize the benefits of AI innovations like Nomos 1. Explore how to leverage AI for startups
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.
