Fast.ai
Fast.ai is a research and education organization that develops open-source deep learning software and offers free online courses.
Profile
Fast.ai provides free online courses and an open-source deep learning library to make neural network training more accessible.
Fast.ai is a research and education organization that develops open-source deep learning software and offers free online courses. Founded in 2016 by Jeremy Howard and Rachel Thomas, the organization is best known for its fastai library, a PyTorch-based framework that simplifies training neural networks. The fastai GitHub repository has over 28,000 stars and 7,700 forks, with the most recent commit on May 20, 2026.
The organization does not appear to have disclosed revenue, funding, or headcount; it operates as a non-traditional entity without venture capital backing. Fast.ai's courses, particularly 'Practical Deep Learning for Coders,' have been taken by hundreds of thousands of students globally. The organization also produces research, including contributions to transfer learning and tabular data modeling.
As of mid-2026, Fast.ai continues to maintain its open-source library and update its educational materials, but has not announced any commercial products, paid services, or institutional partnerships. Its model is distinct from for-profit AI companies: it relies on donations and course fees, and has no known customer contracts or enterprise sales. The lack of disclosed financials or a clear revenue model makes it difficult to assess its market position, but its influence in democratizing AI education is widely acknowledged.
Who buys this
- Individual learners and hobbyists seeking practical AI skills
- Data scientists and engineers transitioning into deep learning
- Academic researchers using the fastai library for rapid prototyping
- Small teams and startups without dedicated ML infrastructure
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- Highly popular open-source library with over 28,000 GitHub stars and an active community of contributors
- Free, well-regarded online courses that have trained hundreds of thousands of students worldwide
- Strong brand in the AI education space, with founders who are respected for their teaching and research
Watch for
- No disclosed revenue, funding, or headcount, making it difficult to evaluate financial sustainability
- Relies on donations and course fees, which may limit resources for maintaining the library and updating courses
- No known enterprise customers or commercial partnerships, which could constrain growth and influence
Recent moves
Key Information
- Industry
- AI Frameworks, Tools & Libraries
- Founded
- 2016
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fast.ai?
Fast.ai is a research and education organization founded in 2016 by Jeremy Howard and Rachel Thomas. It provides free online courses and an open-source deep learning library called fastai, built on PyTorch, to make neural network training more accessible.
What is the fastai library used for?
The fastai library is a PyTorch-based open-source framework that simplifies training neural networks. It is used for rapid prototyping in deep learning, including tasks like computer vision, natural language processing, and tabular data modeling, and has over 28,000 GitHub stars.
Does Fast.ai offer free courses?
Yes, Fast.ai offers free online courses, most notably 'Practical Deep Learning for Coders,' which has been taken by hundreds of thousands of students globally. The courses aim to democratize AI education by providing practical, hands-on training without requiring extensive prerequisites.
Who are the founders of Fast.ai?
Fast.ai was founded in 2016 by Jeremy Howard and Rachel Thomas. Both are respected educators and researchers in the AI community, known for their contributions to making deep learning more accessible through free courses and the open-source fastai library.
How does Fast.ai make money?
Fast.ai operates as a non-traditional entity without venture capital backing. It relies on donations and course fees, and has no disclosed revenue, funding, or headcount. It does not have enterprise customers or commercial partnerships, focusing instead on education and open-source development.
Is the fastai library still being maintained?
Yes, as of May 20, 2026, the fastai GitHub repository shows recent activity, including an update for auto-updating nbdev links. The library has over 28,000 stars and 7,700 forks, indicating an active community of contributors and ongoing maintenance.
Sources
- github.com — Repository details, star count, fork count, recent commit date, and project activity
- ir.c3.ai — C3.ai financial results (not directly about Fast.ai, but included in dossier as a source)
- techcrunch.com — Context on AI startup funding landscape in 2025
- techcrunch.com — Context on AI startup funding landscape in early 2026