EnterpriseSG & Google Cloud push AI innovation in Singapore

Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and Google Cloud have unveiled initiatives aimed at propelling artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and innovation among organisations in Singapore. These initiatives were announced at AI First, an event hosted at Google's Asia Pacific headquarters, showcasing the first group of startup graduates from Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Singapore. The event highlighted a collaborative effort to support high-growth startups in developing proprietary AI products and SMEs in enhancing workforce efficiency and productivity.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong, stated, "AI is a key driver of the Singapore economy, and it is critical for organisations of all sizes to embrace and deepen their use of AI to grow their businesses. The initiatives unveiled today at Google Cloud's AI First event aim to advance AI adoption for startups and SMEs." He added that public-private collaborations with technology leaders such as Google Cloud play a vital role in accelerating AI adoption and advancing the National AI Strategy goals.

Among the key announcements was the successful graduation of 25 startups from the inaugural cohort of Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Singapore. These startups developed and launched AI products using Google Cloud's AI stack, including Gemini models on Vertex AI. The cohort addressed a range of business challenges, from detecting accounting fraud and increasing solar power capacity to reducing food waste and reinforcing public safety.

Building on this success, EnterpriseSG and Google Cloud announced that applications for the accelerator's second cohort are now open. The new cohort will include 35 startups, scheduled to begin in February 2025. Selected startups will benefit from up to USD $350,000 in Google Cloud credits upon graduation, access to an innovation sandbox for up to three months, mentorship, and technical support from Google Cloud's teams. They will also have the opportunity to present their projects to potential investors and customers at a Demo Day organised by EnterpriseSG and Google Cloud.

Philbert Gomez, Executive Director of Digital Industry Singapore, commented, "The success of the inaugural cohort of Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Singapore reflects our commitment toward enabling promising AI startups with the means to turn innovative AI concepts into reality and commercialise them for local and global markets. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Google Cloud as we continue supporting local organisations in their AI journey for growth in the digital economy."

Additionally, the Gemini for Google Workspace Program (SMEs) was launched to support SME adoption of AI. This programme aims to help small business owners and employees increase productivity and creativity by defraying up to 50% of the license costs for a 12-month period and providing dedicated training and consultation. Using Gemini, Google's advanced multimodal AI models, SMEs can enhance their use of collaboration and productivity apps such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and more.

The launch follows a successful pilot programme conducted in August 2024, which saw companies like Big Tiny, IKARI Services, and Koufu experience significant benefits from using Gemini for Google Workspace. These early adopters used the tools for a variety of tasks, from conducting competitive analysis and creating marketing content to standardising customer service responses.

Ms. Serene Sia, Country Director for Singapore at Google Cloud, noted, "Google Cloud has been a prolific contributor to the growth of gen AI startups, with more than 60% of all funded gen AI startups and nearly 90% of today's gen AI unicorns leveraging our infrastructure and capabilities. Through Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Singapore, we're providing locally-based founders with access to our broad choice of foundation models and developer tools."

Geoffrey Yeo, Assistant Managing Director of Enterprise Singapore, said, "Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Singapore and Gemini for Google Workspace Program (SMEs) underscore EnterpriseSG's efforts to boost Singapore's fast-developing AI ecosystem and deepen our companies' capabilities to simplify work processes and improve efficiency."