Google selects two Pakistani startups for first AI Academy in APAC

Pakistani startups AdalFi and Adlytic AI are among companies selected for Google AI Academy

Two Pakistani start-ups have been chosen among 23 companies from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to participate in Google’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy, the tech giant announced on Thursday. This initiative aims to enhance the companies’ AI solutions and accelerate business development.

The AI programme commenced earlier this week with a three-day boot camp in Singapore, featuring Pakistan's AdalFi and Adlytic AI alongside firms from India, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Participants will benefit from over 170 hours of mentorship from AI and Cloud experts, as well as up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits and opportunities to connect with AI innovators across the APAC region.

“Two innovative startups from Pakistan are among the 23 chosen from across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) to participate in Google’s first-ever AI Academy in the region,” Google stated in a press release.

Launched in August, the AI Academy aims to support the growth of artificial intelligence start-ups in Pakistan and the broader Asia-Pacific. The initiative seeks to foster new cross-border innovations and partnerships, allowing for the exchange of ideas, expertise, and resources to accelerate the development of AI solutions, positioning the APAC region as a “global hub” for AI development.

The statement highlighted the contributions of these start-ups to Pakistan’s AI ecosystem. “Pakistani startup AdalFi is increasing access to financial services with its AI-powered credit scoring system, promoting financial inclusivity for millions of individuals and small businesses,” it noted. “Adlytic AI is enhancing retail analytics by transforming CCTV cameras into intelligent tools for businesses, helping retailers better use visual and geospatial data to grow their business.”

Micheal Kim, Head of Google for Startups, expressed enthusiasm about launching the AI Academy in the Asia-Pacific region. “AI has the potential to be an incredible force multiplier, and it’s incredible to see these 23 startups harnessing AI’s potential to impact some tough challenges, ranging from addressing underserved sectors, like expanding access to financial services and health care, to building AI collaborators for lawyers, democratizing influencer marketing with AI-generated avatars,” he said.

“Through this program, we hope to foster a wave of innovation that will have a ripple effect across the entire Asia-Pacific region,” he added.

All participating start-ups will showcase their “refined AI solutions” to investors, entrepreneurs, and AI industry leaders on Graduation Day in December later this year, according to the press release.