Core Insights - Meridian has launched with a focus on enhancing financial modeling and spreadsheet predictability and auditability, securing $17 million in seed funding at a $100 million post-money valuation [1][2] Funding and Valuation - The seed funding round was led by Andressen Horowitz and the General Partnership, with additional participation from QED Investors, FPV Ventures, and Litquidity Ventures [2] - Meridian has signed $5 million in contracts in December alone, indicating strong initial market traction [2] Product and Technology - Meridian differentiates itself by operating as a stand-alone workspace rather than integrating directly into Excel, allowing for a more comprehensive IDE-like approach to financial modeling [3] - The platform integrates various data sources and external references, reducing friction in the modeling process [3] Team and Expertise - The Meridian team comprises alumni from AI firms such as Scale AI and Anthropic, alongside financial veterans from institutions like Goldman Sachs [4] - The company aims to address the stringent requirements of financial clients, which often conflict with the non-deterministic nature of AI models [4] Challenges and Solutions - Meridian is focused on creating outputs that are more auditable and deterministic, while still leveraging the flexibility of large language model (LLM)-based tools [5] - The company aims to eliminate uncertainty in the LLM process, providing clear visibility into the logic and assumptions behind financial models [6]