Nvidia co-launches SEA’s first AI startup accelerator

(From left) Chiu Li Jung, head of startup and ecosystem in Asia Pacific South for Nvidia; Ng Yi Ming, CEO of Tribe; Richard Kerris, VP of developer relations at Nvidia; Chan Ih-Ming, executive director and head of Digital Industry Singapore; Susan Marshall, senior director of developer relations at Nvidia; Soh Leng Wan, assistant managing director of Enterprise Singapore; and John Lu, director of infocomm and media at Digital Industry Singapore / Photo credit: Ignition AI Accelerator

Singapore-based ecosystem builder Tribe and government-linked Digital Industry Singapore have teamed up with Nvidia to launch the Ignition AI Accelerator – Southeast Asia’s first AI startup accelerator.

Now accepting applications, the US$3 million project aims to support AI startups and create a vibrant AI ecosystem in the region, among other things. Through a four-month initial program, 15 startups will gain technical insights from Nvidia and attend training workshops developed with Tribe.

In addition to covering the startups’ GPU needs, the program will also offer funding support to select startups via the Startup SG Tech scheme. Nvidia and Tribe will also help startups gain accreditation from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority, which would make them contenders for government and large enterprise contracts.

The partnerships come as Singapore’s rapidly growing AI sector gains traction, attracting attention from global majors. Earlier this week, IBM said it would be partnering with AI Singapore (AISG) to improve the latter’s large language model, Sea-Lion.

Meanwhile, Google also recently announced a partnership with AISG to improve datasets for Southeast Asia-focused LLMs.

See also: Mapping the key genAI chip and components makers in SEA