QWERKY AI is a Columbia-based startup focused on optimizing large language models so enterprises can maintain high performance without the usual spikes in compute expense, energy consumption, and infrastructure commitments. The company has assembled a portfolio of protected intellectual property that spans proprietary processes and an entire family of custom AI models tuned for efficiency. Its core platform targets cost-reduction and speed improvements, and the team has already demonstrated real-world application through a partnership with Inbox Beverage to build an AI-powered container and beverage design system. QWERKY AI augments its technical depth through participation in the NVIDIA Inception Program, NVIDIA DGX Cloud Innovation Lab, and Microsoft for Startups, giving it access to advanced hardware, cloud credits, and go-to-market support. The startup opened its headquarters last summer and positions itself at the forefront of South Carolina’s emerging deep-tech corridor, aiming to spur local talent development in artificial intelligence. While revenue and user metrics have not been disclosed, recent external funding highlights growing investor confidence in the company’s efficiency-first approach to AI deployment.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Feb 2026