Higher Ground Labs is launching a first-of-its-kind Agentic AI Open Call to accelerate the deployment of next-generation AI systems across campaigns, organizing, and movement-building.

Specifically, we are looking for companies building agentic AI solutions that can be deployed in the 2026 cycle in order to produce early learnings that can drive outsized impact in 2028 and beyond.

The Moment: From Generative AI to Agentic Systems

The 2024 and 2025 cycles confirmed that large language models have graduated from novelty and now form critical parts of the infrastructure powering progressive organizations and campaigns. Today, many aspects of campaign management have already been touched by AI tools and workflows, be it in visible ways like drafting emails and ad content, or non-visible ways like coding applications and data analysis. 

Recent election cycles marked a shift in how campaigns engage with AI, yet many of the core constraints campaigns face remain unresolved. Teams still face major challenges of limited time and budget, fragmented tool and data systems, and the challenge of reaching and engaging voters at scale in an era of decentralized media and increasing distrust.

Agentic AI—which we define as autonomous systems that can plan and execute multi-step workflows toward specific goals within human-set parameters—offers compelling opportunities to improve how campaign work is executed and scaled.

Where generative AI produces outputs, agentic AI takes actions that can:

• Move from single tasks to end-to-end execution of workflows
• Connect data, tools, and channels that typically lack integrations
• Enable faster iteration and real-time adaptation based on results

Rather than simply automating existing tasks, these systems enable program-level step changes, allowing campaigns to run advanced, continuous operations that were previously out of reach. Most importantly, they can expand message testing and timing refinement, optimizing for individual voter preferences while incrementally improving performance over time.

Agentic AI can help be the step-change support systems that will help practitioners finally run the types of campaigns we have longed for: ones that empower to staff to close the loop, personalize experiences of volunteers, donors, and voters, and adapt in real time to clearer feedback signals so candidates can increase trust and receptivity in an era of noise and misinformation.

Consider a typical fundraising workflow: rather than just drafting an email, an agentic system has the potential to handle the full sequence. It can research the donor, personalize the message, send it at the right time, track engagement, and update systems in real time. This points toward a broader roll-up effect of not just faster tasks, but fundamentally greater organizational capacity to engage, respond, and build relationships at scale.

Deployed responsibly, agentic AI frees up much-needed team capacity—allowing campaigners to focus on strategy, relationships, and judgment.

Why This Matters Now

We know that many people in progressive movements have real and legitimate concerns about AI, which reflect the values we share as a community and hold here at Higher Ground Labs. There are important questions about AI and society, including its role in elections and how it can be used in ways that align with those values.

But innovation remains a critical competitive advantage, and abstention is also a choice with consequences. We are already living in a world where AI use is here and accelerating, and the Left increasingly lags the Right in technology adoption as well-resourced conservative infrastructure deploys these systems at scale. We don’t believe in surrendering ground while waiting for a more just technological landscape, but in engaging deliberately on our own terms to help define what responsible AI use in elections looks like. The competitive stakes are high, so it is crucial that we take a seat at the table.

Agentic AI represents a meaningful opportunity to refine and accelerate the core processes that shape how campaigns operate, coordinate, and scale. Since launching our previous generative AI RFP in October 2023, capabilities have advanced rapidly, creating a clear need to revisit this work in light of what these systems can now do. These systems can expand organizational capacity by executing multi-step workflows end to end, allowing teams to focus more of their time on work that requires human judgment.

Our democracy cannot afford hesitation at this moment. We will continue advancing responsible deployment through Higher Ground Institute’s Progressive AI Lab as we push the boundaries of how these systems can strengthen strategic capabilities.

Investment Opportunity

We will invest across a select group of early-stage companies building agentic AI applications for campaigns and organizing. Investments will be structured as equity investments, tailored to each company’s stage and business needs. We are open to both pre- and post-revenue companies, though we strongly prefer teams with at least an MVP built on a foundation of strong user research. We strongly encourage founders from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Please note: this Open Call is for companies only; nonprofits and other entities are not eligible at this time, but we encourage entities of all designations to join the Higher Ground Institute’s Progressive AI Lab community for future opportunities and events.

In addition to capital, selected teams will receive:

• Tailored investment aligned to stage and company needs
• 1:1 coaching and strategic support on product, positioning, and go-to-market
• Mentorship from experienced founders, operators, and political tech practitioners
• Access to the HGL founder and practitioner network
• Opportunities for customer introductions, feedback, and real-world deployment support within the ecosystem

What We’re Looking For

Immediately Useful

Solutions must be deployable in 2026, not hypothetical future capabilities.

• Clear problem definition
• Measurable outcomes (e.g., hours saved, conversion improvements)

Practitioner-Centered

We want to see solutions grounded in real user validation and thoughtful adoption strategies, built for how campaigns actually operate:

• Limited supervision capacity
• High stakes for errors
• Need for reliability and trust

Responsible & Aligned

Because agentic systems act at scale—often faster than humans can review—we expect teams to clearly define:

• What their systems will and will not do
• Guardrails and limitations
• Responsible deployment frameworks

Strong Teams

The most successful teams combine:

• Technical expertise
• Political or practitioner experience

Long-Term Sustainability

Due to the cyclical nature of political tech, companies need a plan beyond a single election cycle, and should demonstrate:

• Durable, sustainable business models
• Scalable adoption strategies
• Long-term ecosystem impact consideration infrastructure.

Examples of Areas We See Opportunity

We want to hear from founders who are building agentic systems to address core campaign constraints. Below are several non-exhaustive areas of interest:

Content & Digital Mobilization

• Automating content pipelines at scale
• Matching messengers to audiences
• Enabling new outreach channels and direct voter contact

Listening & Responsive Strategy

• Synthesizing voter and social feedback in real time
• Mapping community networks and influence
• Surfacing emerging issues as they happen

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Turning data into actionable intelligence quickly
• Identifying patterns in voter, donor, and narrative behavior
• Matching supporters to the right tactics and moments

Campaign Operations Automation

• Moving supporters from signup to action automatically
• Managing scheduling, communications, and CRM workflows
• Generating rapid responses to breaking events

Workflow & Self-Learning Agents

• Automating repetitive, multi-step campaign work
• Systems that improve over time based on real-world outcomes
• Continuously optimizing workflows based on performance and feedback

How to Apply

Apply by June 7 at 11:59pm ET via our application form. Submit your application here.

Timeline:

• June 7: Applications close
• Week of June 15: All applicants notified on shortlist status
• Weeks of June 22 and 29: Interviews for shortlisted applicants
• Month of July: Final investment decisions

Looking Ahead

The agentic AI space is still very early. What we build, try, and learn in the 2026 cycle is the best way to shape what we scale in 2028. We are approaching this Open Call as both a learning and investment cycle, with a focus on backing teams that can adapt alongside the technology rather than execute against a fixed specification.

Given the pace of change, a disciplined approach to building and evaluation is essential. As agentic AI begins to take shape as a layer of infrastructure for how campaigns and organizations operate, we are focused on supporting teams that can develop and iterate in step with new technology while keeping campaign practitioner needs and empowerment front and center. The Open Call is designed to identify and back those teams.

If you’re working on agentic AI for campaigns, organizing, or civic infrastructure, we want to hear from you.

Apply to our Agentic AI Open Call here.