About
Costfunc is an applied AI research lab. We build our own products and selectively partner with others. Here's what we believe.
Our story
Costfunc started with a simple observation: there's a widening gap between AI research and products people actually use.
Papers get published, models get released, benchmarks get beaten. But the lived experience of most software remains unchanged. The problem isn't the technology—it's the approach.
We believe the best AI products come from teams that build first and advise second. That's why we created Costfunc: an applied AI research lab that proves its capabilities through its own products before offering to build for others.
Our first product is Nix, an ML-powered notification manager. It's a small problem with outsized impact—notifications are one of the most pervasive sources of digital friction, and existing solutions are inadequate.
What comes next depends on what we learn. We follow problems, not trends.
What we believe
These aren't aspirational values—they're how we actually work, every day.
Ship, then talk
We publish research only after it's shipped in production. No theoretical explorations. No benchmark-chasing. Real products, real users, real impact.
Constraints over resources
We'd rather have tight constraints than unlimited resources. Constraints force creativity, focus, and craft. They make products better.
Quality over quantity
We take on 2-3 partners per year. We ship one product at a time. We'd rather do fewer things exceptionally well than many things adequately.
Privacy by architecture
When possible, we design systems so that privacy isn't a policy—it's a technical constraint. The best privacy practice is not having the data at all.
Join us
We're building a small team of exceptional engineers and researchers. If you're passionate about shipping AI products that matter, we'd love to hear from you.
Get in touch
Whether you're interested in partnering, joining, or just want to say hello—we'd love to hear from you.