Microsoft, through the company’s Africa Transformation Office (ATO), has announced a new initiative to boost AI development in Africa by fostering collaboration between startups and industry leaders, alongside a strategic partnership with NVIDIA.
The announcement highlighted the success of the Microsoft African Startups AI Fest in South Africa, featuring the NVIDIA Inception program to connect startups with industry leaders, investors, and partners for networking and collaboration on innovative AI solutions.
“We are pleased to offer AI startups in Africa the necessary resources and support for their success,” says Gerald Maithya, General Manager of the Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.
“Our collaboration with NVIDIA Inception will help startup founders leverage Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, AI tools, and go-to-market support. This will assist them in overcoming challenges such as scaling their solutions globally and accessing a broader customer base. We look forward to welcoming local entrepreneurs to this exciting initiative to drive the future of AI in Africa.”, he added.
Africa is positioned to spearhead AI-driven innovations, fueled by its energetic, youthful workforce and rapidly expanding tech ecosystems. With the world’s highest entrepreneurial rate and a surge in investments, the continent is experiencing a boom in innovation. Over 2,400 AI startups are already revolutionizing industries and generating new job opportunities at an impressive rate.
The Microsoft AI Startups initiative seeks to accelerate this growth by equipping African startups with the necessary support and resources. Through its partnership with NVIDIA Inception—a global program dedicated to fostering innovative startups—it provides access to advanced technology, expert guidance, and connections to venture capitalists.
Insights will be shared from local success stories such as Taimba, an agritech startup revolutionizing the agricultural supply chain by linking rural smallholder farmers with urban retailers, and Zendawa, a telehealth provider transforming pharmaceutical operations through online access to medicines and financial solutions for pharmacies. Additionally, Pesawise, a fintech pioneer, will demonstrate how it is reshaping East Africa’s financial sector with secure, efficient payment services, utilizing tools like Azure and GitHub.
Through the initiative, Microsoft will collaborate with NVIDIA Inception to accelerate AI innovation across Africa. Entrepreneurs will be equipped with resources to scale their solutions globally, including mentorship, access to platforms like Microsoft Azure and GitHub, go-to-market support, technical tools, and valuable networking opportunities.
The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub has been pivotal in assisting over 14,000 African startups. Companies such as Snark Health, Aibanc, and PCS Agri have leveraged this support to scale their operations. Kenya’s Snark Health, for instance, is addressing healthcare payment challenges through an innovative blockchain-based solution that connects patients with doctors, benefiting thousands across the continent.
In Nigeria, Aibanc is leading the way with Africa’s first subscription-based banking system, utilizing AI technology to offer highly personalized loans and financial services to individuals and SMEs throughout the continent. At the same time, PCS Agri in Morocco is employing AI, Machine Learning, and IoT to improve agricultural operations, optimize management processes, and enhance customer communication through tools such as connected traps and yield estimation platforms.
The Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC) in Nairobi will be instrumental in facilitating this collaboration, offering key initiatives such as virtual AI training sessions for developers. In addition, NVIDIA will organize a workshop to provide in-depth insights into the partnership and offer startups guidance on utilizing generative AI tools, as well as how they can harness AI and computing resources to scale their operations.
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