Africa stands at the threshold of a powerful AI revolution. To harness its potential for addressing the continent’s most pressing issues and drive inclusive and responsible growth, a collaborative effort to propel AI is needed.
A unified approach is required to shape the pillars of AI development, namely: data, compute and talent.
A newly formed AI Hub for Sustainable Development Co-Design: Startup Acceleration Pilot is designed to inform the design and development of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development.
This initiative is co-led by the Italian G7 Presidency and the United Nations Development Programme, and supported by ITU’s AI for Good. This involves the participation of partners supporting the learning journey of this pilot, which include the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), CDP Venture Capital SGR (CDP), and the Italian Innovation and Culture Hub (INNOVIT).
The private sector – including the burgeoning AI/tech startup ecosystem and continental/global private sector companies – can play a critical role in closing the various gaps related to data, compute and talent.
Data: private sector innovations to increase data quality and accessibility and create data public goods
Green Compute: private sector responsible innovations and partnerships to increase access to and affordability of compute
Talent: private sector innovations, particularly with universities and research institutes, to build talent networks, addressing skill gaps through work-integrated learning
Submit your Start-up to Join the Startup Acceleration Pilot
Running from September to October 2024, this pilot programme aims to foster innovation and partnerships in data, compute, and talent pipelines—the three critical pillars underpinning local AI ecosystems in Africa.
By focusing on these foundational elements, the pilot programme seeks to address the need for an integrated private sector approach to mitigate risks and unlock the transformative power of AI for sustainable development. It aims to support innovations that are locally based and put people and sustainability at the centre, ensuring that innovations benefit communities in countries where the innovations are designed.
As part of the programme, selected startups will have the opportunity to participate in an ecosystem-building event hosted by INNOVIT and the Italian G7 Presidency in San Francisco, California, USA on 12 – 14 November 2024. During the event, selected startups will have the chance to showcase their innovative solutions, attract potential investment, form strategic partnerships, and network with INNOVIT’s start-up network and Silicon Valley AI leaders.
Eligible applicants must:
- Be based in one of the nine pilot countries outlined in the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan: Algeria, Republic of the Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Côte D’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, or Tunisia
- Develop or be aspiring to develop AI solutions that address one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on Education and Training, Energy, Health, Agriculture, Water, and Infrastructure (both physical and digital)
- Contribute to one of the three pillars of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development:
- Compute distribution and affordability
- Talent development and orchestration
- Data quality, accessibility, and digitization
- Demonstrate a commitment to responsible and sustainable AI development and deployment practices
- Demonstrate professional-level proficiency in English. English is a requirement for at least one member of your team (who will also be expected to participate in the in-person activities of the programme)
For more information and to apply visit UNDP website here.
