Northern Data selects startups for AI Accelerator programme

Northern Data Group has announced the selection of five startups for its inaugural AI Accelerator, offering these businesses access to cutting-edge GPU technology.

Selected from a pool of applications spanning 21 countries and five continents, the five startups aim to tackle diverse issues ranging from biodiversity loss to menopause-related health conditions. Each startup will benefit from complimentary access to Northern Data Group's NVIDIA H100 GPUs, the same technology utilised by OpenAI and other significant AI advancements.

Besides access to advanced GPU technology, the AI Accelerator programme offers mentorship from industry leaders within Northern Data Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Supermicro. The startups will also participate in targeted workshops on topics such as 'ESG in AI' and 'Navigating the Investor Landscape' and receive bespoke sessions from the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute.

The chosen startups are as follows: Copernilabs, a French company working on a multi-sensor monitoring platform using AI for real-time observation through a variety of sensors; Grounded AI, a UK firm developing the Veracity API to improve AI accuracy by addressing hallucinations in scientific, publishing, and legal fields; Tecology, a Danish startup using AI with cameras and acoustic sensors to monitor biodiversity and track insect populations; Theraimmune, a UK company targeting 'healthier aging' in menopausal women by identifying druggable targets and developing therapies; and Voxist, a French startup turning speech data into actionable knowledge using Voice AI.

Rosanne Kincaid-Smith, Group COO at Northern Data Group, said, "Our AI Accelerator is a key part of Northern Data Group's commitment to inspiring and nurturing the next generation of AI innovators, helping ensure that startups have the technology they need to succeed regardless of their resources. By providing this talented group of startups with access to our leading cloud platform, we are enabling startups to jumpstart their development and bring their ideas to market faster. We look forward to seeing the transformative innovations that will emerge from this cohort."

Suresh Babu, SVP & GM, HPC & AI GTM at HPE, expressed support for the initiative, stating, "AI startups are turning to Northern Data Group's AI Accelerator to bring their creativity and innovative use of generative AI to life, while ensuring ethics and safety to reduce risk. We're proud to play a role by providing mentorship to help early AI innovators realize their vision and fast-track their projects using the powerful performance and scaling capabilities that HPE AI servers enable."

The AI Accelerator programme considered applications from various industry sectors, including technology, healthcare, energy, and sustainability, evaluated by a panel comprising AI experts and partners from Northern Data Group and HPE.

Northern Data Group aims to democratise access to high-performance computing, thereby aiding startups in overcoming the challenge of acquiring costly compute power. The goal is to embed innovative startups at the heart of AI's future, leveraging its GenAI cloud supported by 100% carbon-free energy.