‍Overview

Mirelo AI is an emerging AI technology company specializing in video-aware audio creation and synchronization solutions. Based in Germany (Mirelo AI GmbH), the company was founded by AI researchers and product experts from top organizations like Google Brain, Amazon, Meta FAIR, Disney, and Native Instruments.

Early on, Mirelo AI faced a critical choice: build its own infrastructure or partner with a cloud provider that offered the flexibility, expertise, and cost-efficiency needed to scale AI/ML operations. After evaluating various options—including hyperscalers and bare-metal providers—Mirelo AI chose GMI Cloud. This case study explores how GMI Cloud empowered Mirelo AI to scale AI development efficiently while ensuring cost-effectiveness and reliability.

The Challenge: Build vs. Buy

Mirelo AI began at a time when high-quality music models didn’t exist. Since they were training foundational models from scratch—rather than fine-tuning existing ones—they needed a robust, scalable infrastructure. This required a dedicated GPU cluster, leading them to weigh the pros and cons of buying versus renting. Over a two-year horizon—the typical "until the next fundraise" timeframe—buying appeared nearly cost-equivalent to renting. While ownership meant lower expenses in the long run, it also came with procurement, maintenance, and scalability challenges. But what if they could own without the technical overhead? When asked, GMI Cloud delivered exactly that with a customized buy-to-own contract.

The Solution: GMI Cloud

GMI Cloud provided Mirelo AI with a tailored solution that offered:

• Competitive pricing: Mirelo AI found GMI Cloud to be 10-15% lower costs compared to alternatives.
• Flexible options: Mirelo AI specifically wanted a rent-to-own option, which GMI Cloud custom-created for their needs.
• Reliable and secure infrastructure: Mirelo AI experienced 22-50% faster model training with GMI's uninterrupted AI/ML operations alongside robust data protection.
• Expertise & partnership: A collaborative approach that aligned with Mirelo AI’s unique needs.
• Responsiveness & support: A dedicated team willing to be accountable for all of Mirelo AI’s expertise requirements.

Mirelo AI now operates several clusters/nodes powered by GMI Cloud, enabling them to advance its AI/ML initiatives.

Key Benefits

Cost Savings

Mirelo AI found GMI Cloud to be 10-15% more cost-effective than other providers. The competitive pricing justified the initial risk of switching from a more traditional cloud provider.

Strategic Flexibility

GMI Cloud’s ability to offer tailored contracts was a game-changer. Seeing how GMI Cloud reasoned about pricing and structuring agreements reinforced mutual trust. As CJ, Mirelo AI’s CEO and co-founder, stated: "GMI Cloud is extremely supportive and treats us as a partner, which is great for a startup. We succeed together because we have faith in each other."

Collaborative Partnership

The Mirelo AI team appreciated GMI Cloud’s open-mindedness and willingness to meet specific requests. From early contract discussions with Tim to flexible account setups, GMI Cloud demonstrated a startup-friendly approach. As CJ further noted: “I like GMI’s flexibility. The prices are very competitive, but I also like the open-mindedness for unconventional requests and flexibility shown in general.”

Infrastructure & Service

By leveraging GMI Cloud’s infrastructure, Mirelo AI accelerated its AI model training by 22%, ensuring faster iterations and reduced time to market. GMI Cloud provided a reliable and secure environment with minimal disruptions, while its responsive team remained accountable for technical needs, giving Mirelo AI confidence in its long-term AI development strategy.

Alternative Considerations

• Hyperscalers (e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure,  etc.): Both Mirelo AI founders worked for FAANG companies and were used to their infrastructure. They hence naturally also used their cluster credits for pre-processing data and small training runs. While this setup was useful for initial experiments, it lacked the flexibility and long term cost-efficiency required for scaling.
• Bare-metal providers: Mirelo AI almost signed a contract with another, well-known bare-metal cloud provider, but ultimately backed out of it due to GMI Cloud’s better pricing and superior flexibility.

Advice for Startups Seeking an AI Development Partner

Mirelo AI strongly recommends GMI Cloud for startups, citing:

• Flexibility in contracts and pricing
• Understanding of startup constraints
• Reliable infrastructure and responsive expertise support

For companies evaluating hyperscalers, Mirelo AI advises seeking AI development partners like GMI Cloud that understand and accommodate for startup needs.

Looking Ahead

By partnering with GMI Cloud, Mirelo AI was able to scale AI/ML development in a cost-effective and strategic manner. The combination of flexibility, competitive pricing, and a collaborative approach made GMI Cloud the ideal partner for their AI infrastructure needs.

For companies facing similar challenges, Mirelo AI’s experience serves as a compelling case for why GMI Cloud is the go-to choice for AI startups looking to scale their AI developments to win the market.

Mirelo AI is excited to announce its private beta launch end-of-February. This milestone marks an important step as they roll out their AI models to early users, targeting prosumers. The private beta will allow them to gather valuable feedback before a broader public launch. Mirelo AI expects to rely on GMI Cloud for continued infrastructure support as they refine their AI models and scale their operations.

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