AWS Generative AI Accelerator seeks the next generation of global AI leaders

In 2024, the AWS Generative AI Accelerator (GAIA) brought together a diverse cohort of standout generative AI startups, for a fast-paced, hybrid program that equipped them with the resources to accelerate real-world impact through AI innovation.

With the support of AWS’s infrastructure, mentors, and partners, this exclusive group of startups worked at the intersection of cutting-edge research and market readiness, to drive innovation, launch new products, enter new markets, and accelerate enterprise adoption. Like Jessica, CEO & Co-Founder of Audioshake, who explained, “What’s been great is not just meeting other startups, but seeing the ways their technology could complement each other.”

Across the board, startups reported measurable acceleration in customer acquisition, product readiness, and brand visibility. Their tenacity is evident in the observation of Gabriel, CEO of HeroGuest, who says, “We realized this is not just any other accelerator, we’re all relentless in our desire to leverage AI.”

Applications are now open for GAIA 2025

With generative AI tools now widely available, this year, GAIA will focus efforts to support those startups who are developing generative AI technologies, including building models, infrastructure, fine-tuning tools, and agentic workflows that will drive the next wave of innovation. The program will feature robust go-to-market mentorship, broader technical enablement, and new opportunities to connect with customers, partners and investors. The 2025 cohort will receive unmatched benefits designed to accelerate both technical growth and market traction, including up to $1 million in AWS credits.

“We are now at a stage where virtually all startups will be applying generative AI to their business in one shape or form. That's why for this year's accelerator, we are honing our focus to support those startups developing the foundational technologies that will define what’s possible with AI,” said Jon Jones, VP and Global Head of Startups at AWS. “This year’s program is part of our continued commitment to accelerate generative AI innovation around the world by providing ground-breaking startups with the credits, mentorship, and visibility they need to scale with confidence.”

GAIA welcomes startups building physical AI, agentic AI, and gen AI products and services across industries, from HCLS to Fintech, and across all geographies including North America, EMEA, APJ, and LATAM. Those exploring fine-tuning open-source models, pre-training foundation models (FM), or providing critical services in the emerging generative AI tech stack that surround the FM with data preparation, model monitoring, infrastructure provisioning, etc. are especially encouraged to apply. This global approach very much appealed to Hiep, COO of AI Hay and member of the 2024 cohort, who says, “As a small company from Southeast Asia, which is not known to be at the forefront of gen AI, I was most curious about where we stood on the global AI stage.”

Ideal applicants will have begun to or have validated their solution through early enterprise pilots, beta users, or signed contracts—and are actively working toward compliance, security readiness, and operational scale. They should have demonstrable revenue and customer growth; and funding traction.  Startups should generally be at or beyond the seed stage of funding with plans to raise another round of capital in the next 12 months. Teams should have at least one GTM or sales leader in place and a founding team with proven AI/ML expertise.

Participants will receive:

• Up to $1 million in AWS Activate credits, allowing startups to tailor their usage across a broad range of AWS products.

• Unparalleled access to a highly curated network of AI experts, including industry leaders from top AI companies, and investors, all with deep expertise in scaling generative AI innovations.

•  A personalized mentorship experience, blending business acumen with deep technical know-how in positioning startups for success in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.

• Substantial go-to-market support, including exclusive events and targeted networking opportunities with venture capitalists.

• A focus on enterprise-readiness and market scalability, building upon each startup’s strong technical foundations and initial customer validation, and ensuring they are prepared to meet enterprise needs.

This experience is designed to be truly transformational, as Adèle, Co-founder and CTO of Phagos, found, “Thanks to the accelerator, we have architectural support on AWS helping plan the next months and years of our company, meaning we can totally focus on the technology.”

Ready to accelerate your AI startup? Apply by July 10, 2025 for your opportunity to be part of the 2025 Generative AI Accelerator Cohort!