Meta Launches AI Accelerator Program in Singapore to Empower APAC startups

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has unveiled plans to launch an AI accelerator program in Singapore to support 100 enterprises in exploring generative AI and integrating Llama, Meta’s open-source AI model, into their products. The initiative, announced by Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, during an event at Meta’s Asia Pacific headquarters, is designed to empower companies and developers in the region to leverage Llama for innovative solutions.

Initially, the initiative will connect 20 participants with both technical and business experts who will provide mentorship as they develop, refine, and launch Llama-powered solutions. Supported by Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), the program supports Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0), which promotes AI development and adoption among businesses and startups.

Philip Gomez, Executive Director of DISG, highlighted the program’s potential to support innovation by empowering local enterprises with technical expertise and mentorship. “By unlocking new opportunities through AI, this initiative helps businesses grow,” he said. 

Meta’s global AI initiatives include partnerships with governments and innovation incubators and the Llama Impact Innovation Awards, which recognize startups using Llama 2 or 3 to address social good challenges. 

The National University of Singapore’s AiSee, for instance, received an award for developing an affordable wearable gadget that uses AI technology to enable visually impaired individuals to ‘see’.

The AI accelerator program received entries from over 720 companies from the Asia Pacific region, submitting projects demonstrating Llama’s impactful use cases in areas such as education, public services, and economic development. 

Finalists from 13 markets showcased their innovative solutions at Meta’s Singapore headquarters, competing for grants to further their work and contribute to the region’s growing AI innovation landscape.

The event concluded with Traversaal.ai from Pakistan emerging as the winner of the regional finals. It earned a US$100,000 grant for its development of an Urdu Llama model designed to connect 250 million Urdu speakers globally. 

“We are beyond thrilled to represent Pakistan at this level. It’s a great honor to be here in Singapore, the hub of technology, and we are extremely grateful to Meta for enabling us to turn our dreams into reality,” expressed Hamza Farooq, founder of Traversaal.ai.

The first and second runners-up, from Indonesia and New Zealand, received grants of US$15,000 and US$10,000, respectively, to advance their proposals. 

In parallel, Meta continues to invest in AI products, recently unveiling its ‘Meta Movie Gen’ model. This new AI-powered video generator allows users to create short videos with audio from text prompts and images. 

Described as a ‘breakthrough’ in video and audio production, Movie Gen can generate custom videos and sounds, edit existing clips, and transform personal images into unique videos. For instance, one demonstration featured a still headshot of a man, which was turned into a video showing him working as a lab technician.