Astralis Foundation
Astralis Foundation
Astralis Foundation is a Swedish philanthropic organization focused on AI safety and governance.
Quick Assessment
| Dimension | Assessment | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | Emerging | Operates the Shared Horizons Fund; total grantmaking volume not publicly disclosed |
| Role | Funder + Convener | Funds AI safety initiatives, convenes multi-stakeholder dialogues |
| Focus | AI safety and governance | West-Asia AI governance bridges, European AI safety leadership, risk communication |
| Team | ≈6 core staff + advisors | Stockholm HQ; offices in London, New York, Vienna |
| Key People | Jona Glade (CEO), Vilhelm Skoglund (President) | Board connections to Longview Philanthropy and Rethink Priorities |
Organization Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Astralis Foundation |
| Type | Philanthropic foundation |
| Leadership | Jona Glade (CEO), Vilhelm Skoglund (President) |
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Other Offices | London, New York, Vienna |
| Key Programs | Shared Horizons Fund, support for IDAIS, Nordics AI Safety Summit |
| Funding Policy | Does not accept unsolicited funding requests |
| Website | astralisfoundation.org |
Overview
Astralis Foundation is a philanthropic organization with the stated vision of "a flourishing world with secure and beneficial AI for all."1 The foundation unites funders, experts, and entrepreneurs to develop and expand interventions in AI safety and governance, providing funding, strategic guidance, and network access to steer AI development toward beneficial outcomes.
The foundation's operational approach emphasizes venture-style high-risk/high-reward philanthropic bets, multi-funder collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, and expert-driven strategy.1 Astralis operates from four offices across Stockholm, London, New York, and Vienna, reflecting its global orientation.
Astralis has notable connections to the broader effective altruism and AI safety ecosystem. CEO Jona Glade serves on the board of Longview Philanthropy, and Senior Advisor Tim Shavers sits on the board of Rethink Priorities. Board member Beth Barnes founded METR (formerly ARC Evals), one of the leading AI model evaluation organizations.
Focus Areas
Astralis organizes its work around three primary focus areas:1
Building West-Asia Bridges
The foundation supports efforts to establish global governance structures for trustworthy AI innovation. Its flagship initiative in this area is support for the International Dialogues on AI Safety (IDAIS), which brings together AI scientists and policymakers from Western nations and China to discuss safety standards and cooperation. According to the foundation, IDAIS is now in its fourth session.1
European AI Safety Leadership
Astralis works to strengthen Europe's capacity for safe AI development while preventing catastrophic risks. In this area, the foundation supported the Langsikt Centre in producing policy recommendations for Norwegian decision-makers on AI safety and governance.1
AI Risk and Opportunity Communication
The foundation aims to inform stakeholders and decision-makers about AI progress and associated dangers. Astralis co-hosted the 2024 Nordics AI Safety Summit and the 2025 Nordic AI Retreat in Stockholm.12
Shared Horizons Fund
Astralis operates the Shared Horizons Fund, a multi-funder vehicle for AI safety grantmaking. The fund is led by Senior Advisor Tim Shavers.3 Specific details about the fund's size, grantees, and disbursement strategy have not been publicly disclosed.
Leadership and Team
Jona Glade (CEO)
Glade provides strategic counsel on AI safety to decision-makers and leads both Astralis and cFactual, an organization focused on high-impact philanthropy. According to the foundation, Glade has led over 20 strategic initiatives focused on AI safety and high-impact philanthropy. He serves on the board of Longview Philanthropy and previously consulted at BCG and founded Consultants for Impact. He studied organizational psychology at the University of Vienna.3
Vilhelm Skoglund (President)
Skoglund leads funder relationships for the foundation. He co-founded Impact Academy, which prepares talent to address catastrophic risks, and serves as a board member of the FROS Foundation. He also runs a Swedish family office. His background includes law, developmental economics, and sustainability studies at Uppsala University and Cornell University.3
Senior Advisors
| Name | Role | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham Rowe | Senior Advisor | Former COO at Rethink Priorities (scaled from 10 to 100+ staff); founded Good Structures (operations consultancy); co-founded Wild Animal Initiative |
| Tim Shavers | Senior Advisor | Leads grantmaking and Shared Horizons Fund; nearly 20 years at McKinsey; 10+ years in venture capital; board member of Rethink Priorities |
Core Staff
| Name | Role | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Henri Thunberg | Chief of Staff | Former Development Officer at Rethink Priorities; founded Bigheart and Ge Effektivt |
| Nathaniel Andreae | Executive Assistant & Operations | Research and writing experience at The Cricketer and The Times |
Board Members and Advisors
The foundation's board and advisory circle includes Simran Dhaliwal, Samuel Hargestam, Oliver Edholm, Beth Barnes (founder of METR), and Andreas Ehn (first CTO of Spotify).3
Ecosystem Connections
Astralis occupies a distinctive niche in the AI safety funding ecosystem, bridging Scandinavian philanthropic networks with the global AI safety community. Several team members have prior experience at Rethink Priorities (Abraham Rowe as COO, Tim Shavers as board member, Henri Thunberg as Development Officer), and CEO Jona Glade's board seat at Longview Philanthropy positions the foundation near major longtermist funding flows.
The foundation's focus on European and West-Asia governance bridges distinguishes it from US-centric AI safety funders. Its support for IDAIS and the Nordics AI Safety Summit suggests a strategy centered on international cooperation and policy influence rather than direct technical research funding.
Key Uncertainties
- Grantmaking scale: Astralis has not publicly disclosed its total funding deployed or annual budget, making it difficult to assess its philanthropic weight relative to other AI safety funders.
- Track record: As a relatively newer entrant in the AI safety funding space, there is limited public information about the outcomes and impact of its grants.
- Shared Horizons Fund specifics: The fund's size, grantee portfolio, and decision-making process are not publicly documented.
- Relationship to cFactual: CEO Jona Glade leads both Astralis and cFactual, but the operational relationship between the two organizations is unclear.
Sources and Further Reading
Footnotes
References
The 'Our People' page of Astralis Foundation introduces its leadership team, advisors, and impact funders. The foundation focuses on ensuring AI benefits all humanity through ambitious, impact-focused philanthropy and strategic counsel. Key personnel have backgrounds spanning BCG consulting, McKinsey, venture capital, and major EA-aligned nonprofits like Rethink Priorities and Longview Philanthropy.
“Tim leads our grantmaking and Shared Horizons Fund, while also advising Halcyon Ventures, our partner fund investing in impact-first for-profits.”
The Astralis Foundation appears to be an organization focused on AI safety and beneficial AI development. Without accessible content, the specific programs and initiatives cannot be fully assessed, but it likely operates as a nonprofit or research foundation in the AI safety ecosystem.
“Our vision is a flourishing world with secure and beneficial AI for all. Mission Our mission is to help navigate transformative AI by uniting funders, experts and entrepreneurs to seed and scale high-impact interventions. We back exceptional people and ideas with the funding, strategic guidance, and networks they need to steer transformative AI toward beneficial outcomes.”