Surge

We envision a future where artificial intelligence is deeply aligned with human values and intuition, empowered by data that reflects high-quality human judgment and nuanced expertise. At Surge AI, we bridge the critical gap between raw data and intelligent AI systems by transforming the way data annotation is conducted for the most advanced AI models.

Our mission is to cultivate a foundation for reliable, trustworthy AI through innovative approaches that combine expert human insight with sophisticated algorithmic workflows. By refining the reinforcement learning process and integrating domain-specific expertise, we enable the creation of AI systems that are not only powerful but contextually aware and aligned with human intentions.

Driven by a commitment to excellence and precision, Surge AI is building the infrastructure that fuels the next generation of AI breakthroughs. Our platform stands as a vital partner to leading labs and technology companies, supporting the evolution of artificial intelligence in a way that is both meaningful and responsible.

When we first looked into Surge AI, what caught our attention wasn't just their impressive client list (think OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft) — it was their refreshingly different take on data labeling. In a world where AI companies are racing to gather more data, Surge AI is laser-focused on getting better data.

A Quality-First Revolution

Founded by Edwin Chen, a veteran of Twitter and Dropbox, Surge AI emerged from a simple frustration: existing data labeling services weren't cutting it for advanced AI. Their solution? Match specialized annotators with specific tasks based on their expertise. It's like having a sommelier taste wine instead of asking random people on the street.

Where They Really Shine

We're particularly impressed by their work in RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback), which is crucial for making AI systems more helpful and aligned with human values. Their platform has become the go-to choice for companies building frontier AI models, and there's a good reason for that.

The numbers tell a compelling story: they've scaled to 100,000 annotators and hit $1.2 billion in revenue by 2024. But what's more interesting is that they did it while bootstrapping until 2025, proving that focusing on quality can be both profitable and scalable.

Best Suited For

While Surge AI works with various companies, we'd especially recommend them for organizations building sophisticated AI systems that require nuanced, high-quality training data. Their sweet spot is complex tasks where context and domain expertise matter — think content moderation, search relevance, and AI model evaluation.

What's particularly clever about their approach is how they've positioned themselves not just as a service provider, but as essential infrastructure for the AI industry. In a field where everyone's talking about quantity, they've made quality their north star — and it's paying off brilliantly.