The accelerator program aims to promote local innovations in the field of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data usage. The first cohort will assist ten AI startups from Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Africa AI has been designed to provide startups with product development and business development support through a blended accelerator program with a virtual and physical interface.
The Africa AI Accelerator program offers participants with the following:
- 6 months of tailored and interactive virtual and physical sessions.
- A fully-funded Bootcamp training experience.
- Connections to global networks and mentors.
- Coaching and mentorship from AI experts from IBM.
- Access to IBM’s Digital Nation Africa (DNA) platform and other digital tools.
- Investment opportunities.
- Strengthening technical capacity.
- Strengthening business capacity.
- Support to refine your AI solution.
- Matching to cooperates as potential clients or partners.
Africa AI targets startups that have female founders, Work on AI and health, Work on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and data collection for NLP applications, have an open-source and open data-oriented business model.
For startups to be eligible for the program they must have the following characteristics:
- Be a for-profit startup, that operates in Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, or Uganda, with a team of at least two people.
- Must be operational for at least one year.
- Have an Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) product or service.
- Have the prerequisites to include AI or ML into existing products or services including a detailed concept.
- Products or services which are needed to develop AI or ML products or services including training data collection.
- Have traction with early revenue and early customers, with a clearly demonstrated potential to scale.
- Have a business model with a social impact, i.e. with a solution to a problem as described in the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Have an up to date Venture Profile on VC4A with appropriate information for business and financing partners.
Applicants must be willing to commit and be always available for all virtual sessions for the 6 month period of the Accelerator Program as well as an on-site Bootcamp and on-site demo days in Ghana.
The deadline for the application is June 25, 2020.