An African agricultural business which helps the continent’s farmers increase crop yields is among the 13 cohort companies announced for this year’s University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator (AIA).
The programme has selected a group of emerging companies from Scotland, the UK and other parts of the globe which are focused on using ‘AI for good.’
This year’s participants include Kenya-based Agritech Analytics. 该公司, 由其首席执行官兼联合创始人玛丽安娜·吉昌加领导, uses AI technology to tackle annual crop losses in Africa caused by pests, diseases, 气候变化. Among the other international businesses taking part in the 2023/24 programme is Netherlands-based Happitech, a company that is leveraging smartphone technology to provide a transformative solution in addressing heart disease.
今年的入选名单还包括Black Goblin, 这是一家总部位于爱丁堡的女性创办的公司, creators of an all-inclusive collaboration platform that enables independent content creators to design sound, 以及位于丹弗姆林的FC实验室. 该公司’s CoreTech offering is a health and safety-focused technology that allows individuals, teams and businesses to measure and manage mental fitness and wellbeing within the workplace.
才有资格参加这个项目, companies must use AI for wider societal benefit to deliver solutions in core areas such as health and wellbeing, 社会关怀, 环境可持续性. Participants benefit from a package of support focused on building connections, as well as from leadership mentoring and support with product development to help transform their AI businesses into world-leading companies.
AIA is delivered by the Bayes Centre on behalf of the Data-Driven Innovation hubs, which help organisations tackle challenges of industry and society. 爱丁堡创新公司也提供支持, 爱丁堡大学的商业化服务.
以前的方案参与者包括Inicio.ai, a company that supports both businesses and consumers in making debt management processes more efficient. 在去年4月成功完成AIA的同时，Inicio.Ai完成了一轮100万英镑的融资.
Meanwhile, 格拉斯哥诊断衍生产品Microplate Dx, 另一家前AIA同辈公司, 上周宣布，它已经关闭了一个2英镑.500万美元的种子轮融资，帮助其进一步开发技术, 以及总部位于爱丁堡的地图服务公司Space Intelligence, 哪些国家参加了2020年的项目, 去年年底筹集了200多万英镑.
The announcement of this year’s cohort follows The University of Edinburgh being named by Times Higher Education as the UK’s top-ranked university for AI research power. The latest QS World University Rankings have also named Edinburgh as the UK’s leading university for sustainability and placed it fourth globally out of 700 higher education institutions in this category.
Professor Ruth King, Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre, said: “We warmly congratulate the 13 companies which have been selected for this year’s AI Accelerator programme through a highly competitive process. The cohort includes a diverse group of companies that are using AI innovation to drive progress in addressing societal challenges in key areas including healthcare 气候变化.
“This programme has a clear focus in helping AI-driven businesses further commercialise their proposition to make them world-leading companies. As we have seen from the progress of many of its former participants, the programme has a proud record in helping AI innovators scale up and attract investment to help maximise their full potential.”
约翰·布罗迪, who was appointed last year as the AI Accelerator programme’s Entrepreneur in Residence, said: “As an entrepreneur who is passionate about driving actionable data science projects and enabling early-stage businesses to scale, I am incredibly excited to be once again working with the companies involved in this year’s AI Accelerator. 世界领先的参与, 来自博天堂入口的创新企业, the UK and across the globe underline the impact of this highly-regarded programme in developing AI-for-good solutions.”
博天堂入口创新部长Richard Lochhead MSP said: “Most experts agree that the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives will be huge, 如果我们做对了, 人工智能可以做很多好事, 从设计新药到应对气候紧急情况. Artificial intelligence has, however, triggered heated worldwide debate.
“We are working to make Scotland a world leader in the development and use of artificial intelligence in a way which is trustworthy, 道德和包容. 为此，我们必须迎接挑战和机遇, 这将影响到我们的经济和社会.
“The Scottish Government’s new Programme for Government recognises big data and artificial intelligence as a key growth sector, and programmes such as the University of Edinburgh’s AI Accelerator are already demonstrating the significant role Scotland is playing in this important exciting industry. 加速器的主题是气候, health and AI for good – chime with our objective that Scotland maximises both the potential economic and social benefits of AI.”