SIL/SIF - Semantic Infrastructure Foundation

Nonprofit Research Foundation

Strategic Value: $5M-$15M (5-year NPV) | Timeline: 5-10 years | Type: 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Opportunity Snapshot

The Opportunity

What is SIL/SIF?

Two Complementary Entities:

SIL (Semantic Infrastructure Lab)

• Research lab building semantic infrastructure for AI systems
• Mission: Make AI systems coherent, verifiable, composable
• Status: Production operational (Reveal, Morphogen, TiaCAD, GenesisGraph shipping)
• Website: semanticinfrastructurelab.org (live Dec 8, 2025)

SIF (Semantic Infrastructure Foundation)

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit that governs and funds SIL
• Mission: Steward semantic infrastructure as public good
• Status: Applications submitted (501c3 Jan 6, 2026 + OCF fiscal sponsorship)
• Website: semanticinfrastructurefoundation.org (live Dec 11, 2025)

Why This Wins

Not theoretical — production systems shipping:

• Reveal: 7.4K downloads/month, 100% organic growth (PyPI v0.26.0)
• Morphogen: 1,705 tests, audio synthesis platform
• TiaCAD: 1,027 tests, v3.1.2 production CAD tools
• GenesisGraph: v0.3.0 alpha, cryptographic provenance for data graphs

Strategic value multiplier: SIL infrastructure enables/accelerates all other ventures (3-5x development speed measured).

Governance designed to prevent capture: Anti-capture mechanisms protect against corporate/government mission drift (Linux Foundation and Mozilla problems avoided).

Revenue Streams

Different Model: Grant/Donation Funding (Not Customer Revenue)

1. Multi-Year Research Grants (40% target)

• Year 1: $800K-1.2M
• Year 3: $3.2-4.8M
• Focus: NSF, NIH, DARPA, foundations (Simons, Sloan, Chan Zuckerberg)
• Timeline: 6-18 month application cycles

2. Corporate Memberships (30% target)

• Year 1: $600K-900K
• Year 3: $2.4-3.6M
• Model: Tier-based ($50K-$500K/year), recognition + strategic access
• Target: AI companies, infrastructure providers, research labs

3. Government Contracts (20% target)

• Year 1: $400K-600K
• Year 3: $1.6-2.4M
• Focus: SBIR/STTR, research partnerships
• Timeline: 12-24 months from application to award

4. Donations + Enterprise Services (10% target)

• Year 1: $200K-300K (Genesis Tier: $50K-500K early supporters)
• Year 3: $800K-1.2M
• Model: Individual donors, training/consulting services

5-Year Total: $45-65M potential funding

Market Validation

Production Systems Prove Capability

Reveal (Universal Resource Explorer)

• 8.8K total downloads, 7.4K/month current rate (100% organic)
• PyPI v0.26.0, 26 languages supported
• Proves: Progressive disclosure methodology (25x token reduction measured)

Real Adoption: Used by AI agents worldwide, no marketing spend

Research Foundation Precedents

Similar successful nonprofits:

• Linux Foundation: $177M budget (2022)
• Apache Foundation: $3M/year
• Python Software Foundation: $3-5M/year
• Mozilla Foundation: $593M revenue (2021)

Market proof: AI infrastructure nonprofits attract significant corporate/foundation funding when shipping production systems.

Funding Applications Filed

• 501(c)(3): Submitted Jan 6, 2026 (3-6 month approval)
• OCF Fiscal Sponsorship: Submitted Jan 6, 2026 (2-3 week approval)
• Status: Waiting on approvals, ready to activate Genesis Tier Feb 2026

The Gap

Technical Readiness: PRODUCTION ✅

• ✅ Production systems shipping (Reveal, Morphogen, TiaCAD, GenesisGraph)
• ✅ Websites live (SIL + SIF, staging + production)
• ✅ Documentation complete (5,643+ lines attorney-ready)

Governance Readiness: FILED ✅

• ✅ 501(c)(3) package complete and submitted
• ✅ OCF fiscal sponsorship submitted
• ✅ Bylaws, articles, policies drafted
• ✅ Board structure defined

Funding Readiness: NOT STARTED ❌

• ❌ No active fundraising (waiting on 501c3 approval)
• ❌ No grant applications submitted yet
• ❌ No corporate partnerships activated
• ❌ Genesis Tier defined but not launched

Operational Readiness: MINIMAL ⚠️

• ⚠️ No Executive Director hired
• ⚠️ No core team assembled
• ⚠️ No formal grant writing capacity
• ⚠️ Single founder doing everything

The gap: Nonprofit infrastructure is ready. Need partners to activate funding and build operations.

Action Plan

Month 1-3: Approvals + Genesis Tier Launch

1. OCF fiscal sponsorship approval (2-3 weeks expected)
2. Activate Genesis Tier early supporter program ($50K-500K target)
3. Recruit 5-10 early believers at $10K-$50K each
4. First grant applications submitted (NSF, foundations)

Month 4-6: Foundation Operations

1. 501(c)(3) approval expected (3-6 month timeline from Jan 6)
2. First board meeting convened
3. Corporate membership tier launched
4. Communications strategy activated (founder letters, research publications)

Month 7-12: Team + Funding

1. Executive Director search and hire (50-70% time, $80K-120K)
2. Grant writer contractor engaged ($30K-50K/year)
3. First grants awarded (6-12 month cycles)
4. Year 1 funding target: $2-3M

Year 2-3: Scale Operations

1. Research team expansion (2-3 full-time researchers)
2. Multi-year grants secured ($3.2-4.8M target)
3. Corporate partnerships activated ($2.4-3.6M target)
4. Community building programs launched

Revenue Trajectory

Different from other opportunities: Grant/donation cycles, not customer revenue

Year 1 (2026): $2-3M

• Genesis Tier early supporters: $50K-500K
• First grants awarded: $1-2M
• Corporate memberships: $500K-1M
• Donations: $100K-200K

Year 2 (2027): $5-7M

• Multi-year grants: $2-3M
• Corporate memberships: $1.5-2.5M
• Government contracts: $1-1.5M
• Donations + services: $500K-1M

Year 3 (2028): $8-12M (Steady State)

• Multi-year grants: 40% ($3.2-4.8M)
• Corporate memberships: 30% ($2.4-3.6M)
• Government contracts: 20% ($1.6-2.4M)
• Donations + enterprise: 10% ($800K-1.2M)

Year 4-5 (2029-2030): $12-25M

• Scale programs, international presence
• Endowment focus begins
• Mature operations

5-Year Total: $45-65M funding potential

Production Validation

Live Infrastructure ✅

Reveal (PyPI Package)

• Version: v0.26.0 (production)
• Downloads: 7.4K/month (100% organic growth)
• Tests: 782 tests, 68% coverage
• Languages: 26 supported

Morphogen (Audio Synthesis)

• Version: v0.12.0 (production)
• Tests: 1,705 tests, 39 domains
• Innovation: Deterministic audio synthesis with ML integration

TiaCAD (Parametric CAD)

• Version: v3.1.2 (production)
• Tests: 1,027 tests, deterministic computation
• Innovation: Semantic observability for 3D modeling

GenesisGraph (Data Platform)

• Version: v0.3.0 (alpha)
• Tests: 320 tests, CI 100% passing
• Innovation: Cryptographic provenance verification

Websites

• semanticinfrastructurelab.org (live Dec 8, 2025)
• semanticinfrastructurefoundation.org (live Dec 11, 2025)
• Both: Production + staging environments

Filed Applications ✅

• 501(c)(3): Complete package submitted Jan 6, 2026
• OCF Fiscal Sponsorship: Submitted Jan 6, 2026
• Documentation: 5,643+ lines attorney-ready

Not Built Yet ❌

• ❌ No fundraising campaign launched
• ❌ No grant applications submitted
• ❌ No ED hired
• ❌ No core team assembled

Why This Partnership Makes Sense

Different Partner Profile

This opportunity needs:

• Nonprofit governance experience (board members, advisors)
• Grant writing expertise (NSF, NIH, foundations)
• Fundraising capability (corporate partnerships, major donors)
• Nonprofit operations (ED recruitment, program management)

NOT needed:

• Technical co-founders (production systems already shipping)
• Customer acquisition (nonprofit/grant funded)
• Equity/revenue splits (nonprofit governance model)

Your Role

Governance Partner

• Join SIF board of directors
• Shape foundation strategy and direction
• Steward anti-capture governance model

Fundraising Partner

• Lead corporate membership program
• Connect foundation to grant opportunities
• Activate early supporter Genesis Tier

Operations Partner

• Recruit and support Executive Director
• Build nonprofit operational capacity
• Scale foundation infrastructure

Why Now?

1. 501(c)(3) filed (Jan 6, 2026) — legal foundation in place
2. Production systems shipping — proof of capability, not just ideas
3. OCF fiscal sponsorship — can accept donations Feb 2026 (5-month acceleration)
4. Strategic timing — AI infrastructure funding environment strong

Investment Required

Different Model: Time/Expertise, Not Capital

Option 1: Governance Partner ($0 cash)

• Commitment: Board member role, 5-10 hours/month
• Investment: Expertise, network, strategic guidance
• Value: Shape foundation direction, steward mission

Option 2: Fundraising Partner ($0-20K)

• Commitment: Lead corporate membership program
• Investment: Time (10-20 hours/week), optional $10K-20K Genesis Tier participation
• Value: Build sustainable funding, corporate relationships

Option 3: Operations Partner ($20K-50K)

• Commitment: Support ED recruitment, build operations
• Investment: $20K-50K Genesis Tier + operational expertise
• Value: Foundation infrastructure, permanent recognition

Option 4: Strategic Advisor ($0)

• Commitment: Quarterly advising, specific expertise (legal, grants, etc.)
• Investment: Time and network
• Value: Guide foundation success, mission alignment

Note: This is nonprofit governance, not equity/revenue splits like other opportunities.

Risk Assessment

Low Risks ✅

Technical Risk: LOW

• Production systems already shipping (Reveal, Morphogen, TiaCAD, GenesisGraph)
• 100% organic adoption (7.4K downloads/month)
• Proven capability, not theoretical

Mission Risk: LOW

• Anti-capture governance designed from day one
• Bylaws protect against corporate/government drift
• Clear founder intent encoding

Medium Risks ⚠️

Approval Risk: MEDIUM

• 501(c)(3) approval: 70% probability, 3-6 month timeline
• OCF fiscal sponsorship: 90% probability, 2-3 week timeline
• Mitigation: Both applications submitted, professional quality

Funding Risk: MEDIUM

• Grant cycles: 6-18 months, competitive
• Corporate partnerships: Require relationship building
• Mitigation: OCF enables Genesis Tier Feb 2026 (bridge funding)

High Risks ⚠️⚠️

Execution Risk: HIGH

• Single founder currently doing everything
• No ED, no team, no operational capacity
• Timeline: 5-10 years (not 1-2 like other opportunities)
• Mitigation: Need partners to build operational infrastructure

Market Risk: MEDIUM-HIGH

• AI infrastructure nonprofit funding unproven at scale
• Corporate AI priorities may shift
• Foundation funding landscape competitive
• Mitigation: Production systems reduce credibility risk

Partnership Models

Different from for-profit opportunities: Governance roles, not equity/revenue

Model 1: Board Member (Governance)

• Role: Join SIF Board of Directors
• Commitment: 5-10 hours/month, quarterly meetings
• Compensation: None (nonprofit board position)
• Value: Shape foundation strategy, steward mission
• Recognition: Permanent founding board member status

Model 2: Fundraising Lead (Operational)

• Role: Build corporate membership program, lead Genesis Tier
• Commitment: 10-20 hours/week for 6-12 months
• Compensation: Optional ED track (Year 2: $80K-120K)
• Value: Build sustainable funding infrastructure
• Recognition: Genesis Tier founder + permanent recognition

Model 3: Strategic Advisor (Advisory)

• Role: Provide expertise (legal, grants, operations, etc.)
• Commitment: Quarterly advising, as-needed consultation
• Compensation: None (advisory role)
• Value: Guide foundation success, mission alignment
• Recognition: Advisory council recognition

Model 4: Genesis Tier Supporter (Funding)

• Role: Early financial supporter ($10K-$50K)
• Commitment: One-time or multi-year donation
• Compensation: Tax deduction (501c3 approved)
• Value: Enable Year 1 operations, permanent recognition
• Recognition: Genesis Tier founding supporter (time-value based tiers)

Why This is #14

Strategic value is massive ($5-15M NPV), but ranked low because:

Different Funding Model

• Grants/donations, not customer revenue
• 6-18 month cycles, not 7-180 days like other opportunities
• Requires specialized expertise (nonprofit governance, grant writing)

Longer Timeline

• 5-10 year mission, not 1-2 year revenue cycles
• Research foundation, not fast revenue generation
• Strategic infrastructure, not immediate cash flow

Different Partner Profile

• Need: Nonprofit governance, fundraising expertise
• NOT need: Customer acquisition, sales, marketing (like opportunities #1-13)
• Smaller partner pool (fewer people with nonprofit expertise)

Higher Execution Risk

• Single founder, no team (other opportunities have more infrastructure)
• Approval-dependent (501c3 pending)
• Unproven nonprofit funding model for AI infrastructure

BUT: Strategic value enables/multiplies all other opportunities (3-5x development speed). This is infrastructure, not direct revenue.

Bottom line: If you have nonprofit governance/fundraising expertise and 5-10 year horizon, this is highest strategic value. If you want revenue in 1-2 years, choose opportunities #1-13.

Next Steps

If This Interests You

1. Review foundation websites:

   • SIL: https://semanticinfrastructurelab.org
   • SIF: https://semanticinfrastructurefoundation.org

2. Schedule call: Discuss governance/fundraising partnership models

3. Join Genesis Tier: Early supporter recognition (Feb 2026 launch)

Questions to Consider

• Do you have nonprofit governance experience?
• Do you have grant writing or corporate fundraising expertise?
• Are you interested in 5-10 year strategic infrastructure (vs 1-2 year revenue)?
• Do you align with mission: Make AI systems coherent, verifiable, composable?

Contact

Email: scott@sil.org Schedule: Book 30-minute call →

Bottom Line: SIL/SIF is highest strategic value in the portfolio ($5-15M NPV) but different model (nonprofit/grants, 5-10 years). If you have nonprofit expertise and long-term vision, this enables everything else. If you want revenue now, choose #1-13.