Y-combinator-backed startup Flower Labs began previewing its distributed cloud platform on Tuesday to deliver an AI model called Flower Intelligence. Mozilla is already using it to enhance its upcoming assist summary add-ons for its Thunderbird Email client.
What makes Flower Intelligence unique is that Flower Intelligence mentioned in X’s post can power AI mobile, PC, and web apps on devices that automatically hand over to a private cloud (with user permission) if necessary. The app defaults to AI models running locally for speed and privacy, but switches to flower cloud when needed for extra calculations.
Companies such as Microsoft and Apple have taken a similar approach with their operating systems and devices. However, Flowers are one of the first to build a fully hybrid cloud local AI platform into open models, including the Llama family of Meta, the Chinese AI Lab Deepseek and Mistral models.
Flower Labs claims that the cloud, the Flower Confidential Remote Compute Service, uses end-to-end encryption and “other technologies” to protect sensitive user data. In a statement, Ryan Sipes, managing director of Mozilla Thunderbird, said Flower Intelligence will allow Mozilla to ship device AI that “works locally with the most sensitive data.”
Developers can apply for early access to flower intelligence as of Tuesday. Flower Labs says it plans to make the service more widely available in the near future, bringing features like model customization, fine-tuning and “federation” training in the cloud.
Flower Labs is holding an online and in-person summit in London on March 26th. Here, the company is committed to revealing the details and features of the additional flower intelligence.
Since its launch in 2023, Flower Labs has raised approximately $23.6 million from venture capital from investors such as Felicis, Face CEO Crem Delangue, Betaworks and Pioneer Fund. Brave, an open source web browser, was an early partner and collaborator.