AWS Launches Program to Boost AI Startups

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has kicked off a program to help boost Generative AI startups. Open to startups worldwide, the AWS Generative AI Accelerator is a 10-week program that will give them access to tools and resources designed to accelerate growth.

Amazon launched the program at the beginning of April to drive innovation in the field of generative AI, a form of artificial intelligence that learns patterns in existing data to create images, videos, text, audio, or 3D models. Advances in this area can be used across a number of industries, including film, green energy, and life sciences. Applications closed on April 17.

The program is designed for startups that already have a working prototype or product that is starting to gain traction with customers and will be looking for funding in the next 18 months. Prototypes should also have a cloud-native architecture to reap the full benefits of the program.

All selected candidates will receive $200,000 in AWS Promotional Credits that can be redeemed toward the use of AWS. This amount can be used in conjunction with the credits from AWS Activate, another program from Amazon designed to help startups in the initial phases of bringing a new idea to life.

The ten-week program kicks off at the end of May with an in-person event in the San Francisco Bay Area. The following eight weeks will be managed through virtual sessions.

The selected startups will have access to technical and business mentoring, AI models and tools, and support to optimize current machine learning stacks. They will also have opportunities to network with potential investors and customers and learn from industry experts.

The program will conclude at the end of July, with a second in-person event, where the candidates will demo their solutions and continue to network with potential investors. Amazon is helping to accelerate growth in this space, but it will not be investing directly in any of the startups participating in the program.