Amazon Backs AI innovation with Startup Accelerator

Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., has opened applications for the third cohort of its Generative AI Accelerator, an eight-week global programme designed to support early-stage startups building transformative generative artificial intelligence technologies.

The company, in a statement issued on Tuesday, disclosed that up to 40 startups from across the world will be selected for the 2025 cohort. Each startup would be eligible to receive up to $1m in AWS credits, mentorship, education, and access to enterprise-grade technical expertise.

Applications are open from June 10 to July 10, while the programme officially kicks off on October 13, 2025, at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, USA.

Vice President and Global Head of Startups at AWS, Jon Jones, stated that the 2025 programme would focus more intently on startups developing the foundational technologies behind generative AI.

“We are now at a stage where virtually all startups will be applying generative AI to their business in one shape or form,” Jones said.

“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.”

He added that AWS’s goal is to accelerate innovation globally by equipping promising startups with the resources and visibility they need to scale confidently.

According to the company, the accelerator is a hybrid initiative featuring both virtual sessions and in-person activities at key AWS events, including the AWS re:Invent 2025 conference.

The programme is open to companies building large language models, infrastructure tools, fine-tuning platforms, and agent-based systems. Eligible applicants must have a minimum viable product, some traction with customers, and a strong technical team.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Latent Labs, Simon Kohl Courtois, whose company participated in the 2024 edition, described the AWS accelerator as instrumental to their growth.

“At Latent Labs, we are building AI foundation models to make biology programmable and accelerate drug discovery. “The AWS Generative AI Accelerator offered us a unique blend of technical depth and commercial reach,” Kohl said.

“As a founder, you gain access to an ecosystem that understands both the demands of building cutting-edge AI systems and the importance of aligning those systems with real-world customer needs.”

Also speaking on the programme, Chief Executive Officer at Splash Music, Tracy Chan, noted that participation helped improve their model performance and strategy execution.

“The AWS accelerator was a game-changer for us. It gave us early access to cutting-edge tools like SageMaker HyperPod and Trainium, plus hands-on support to migrate our models, significantly accelerating our research,” Chan said.