Building a greener AI: The GreenFutures Accelerator Program

What do Airbnb, Dropbox, Instacart, and Stripe have in common?

They are all extraordinarily successful companies that have disrupted their respective industries and achieved significant growth. They can also trace their beginnings to an accelerator.

An accelerator is akin to a greenhouse for seedlings. In a greenhouse, a budding plant receives the optimal conditions for growth: controlled temperature, ample sunlight, nutrients, and protection from harsh elements. Similarly, start-ups within an accelerator are nurtured with resources, expertise, and mentorship, creating an environment conducive to rapid development.

Sustainable Metal Cloud (SMC) has launched the GreenFutures Accelerator, an initiative that provides a sustainable AI platform that significantly propels start-ups and scale-ups seeking to harness the power of GenAI. By breaking down the barriers to accessing advanced computing resources, SMC enables start-ups to accelerate their AI development with the world’s most energy-efficient GPU cloud at scale. The GreenFutures consists of the Accelerator and Catalyst programs. The Accelerator focuses on incubating early-stage start-ups to begin and grow their AI journey. Whereas the Catalyst propels later-stage start-ups to scale up and accelerate sales.

The GreenFutures program is designed to foster innovation by bringing people, knowledge, and GPU resources together.​ The program offers the following key benefits:

• Secure access to GPUs: One of the most significant barriers for AI start-ups is securing access to GPUs to fuel their growth. GreenFutures provides blocks of dedicated GPU access, enabling start-ups to develop and scale their AI applications.
• Mentorship: Gain access to a network of experienced mentors and advisors, offering insights and expertise to help start-ups navigate challenges ranging from product development to AI stacks, and market strategy.
• Upskilling: GreenFutures, in collaboration with NVIDIA, offers a wealth of resources, workshops, and training sessions designed to equip start-ups and scale-ups with the latest AI skillsets and knowledge. From NVIDIA AI Enterprise to deep learning frameworks, GreenFutures empowers start-ups to seize opportunities and thrive in the evolving AI marketplace.
• Collaboration: GreenFutures brings together start-ups and scale-ups, creating a vibrant ecosystem of like-minded entrepreneurs. Through workshops and collaborative opportunities, founders and entrepreneurs can share experiences and lessons, while forging valuable partnerships for collaborations, synergies, and opportunities.
• Exposure and Validation: In addition to the periodic check-ins, the GreenFutures program culminates with demo days, providing a venue for participants to highlight their products and pitch their ideas to investors, industry experts, and potential partners. The expanded exposure provides tremendous exposure helping participants raise awareness, attract funding, and validate their business models.

Like a greenhouse, GreenFutures creates a fostering environment that empowers start-ups and scale-ups with GPU access, mentorship, education, and exposure. It is a catalyst to accelerate AI development, one cohort at a time.

Additional information on the GreenFutures program can be found here.