BonsAPPs wants to help European SME’s better implement AI

Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises seeking to improve their products, services, or value chains by applying reusable AI@Edge solutions are encouraged to apply for BonsAPP’s latest Open Call to their accelerator program. 

The 12-week accelerator program is designed to help small businesses at all stages of their AI journey find leverage in the next iteration of the “AI-as-a-Service” economy. 

If selected for the program, participating SMEs will be provided the tools they need to concoct their very own AI@Edge-enabled products using tools found on BonsAPP’s Bonseyes Marketplace, a secure and distributed AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) Platform that reduces time and cost of AI@Edge development. These solutions will then be monetized via their listing on Bonseyes Marketplace.

The idea that applications at the edge of the network can use AI to process crucial data it collects before sending it back to a company’s main server means a more efficient data architecture as well as more efficient data sourcing and management. 

Composed of eight industrial and academic partners which include, ISDI, Hes-so, Nviso, FundingBox, STMicroelectronics, BCA, BTH, and UNIBO, and funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, BonsApps’ latest open call is focused on positioning Europe as the global leader in AI. 

Companies with very limited AI knowledge are encouraged to self-assess along the following criteria when submitting their application:

• AI Aware – SMEs seeking to find an AI-based solution for their company.
• AI Ready – SMEs who require little or no development resources to scope and implement their AI solution.
• AI Competent – SMEs with limited resources and budget looking for a collaborative innovation channel for a new Proof of Concept to scale up their internal resources.

After startups self-asses they must construct a pitch with high commercial viability. Startups with a solidified go-to-market strategy for an AI-enabled product, or startups with a solid userbase seeking to optimize their services through AI should apply the following frameworks to their pitch:

• Each solution must demonstrate a high potential use case for the development of low-cost, highly scalable AI apps and edge solutions.
• All AI at Edge solution use cases must be developed using Bonseyes AI Marketplace services and resources.
• SMEs must demonstrate an availability of good-quality commercial data.
• Each proposal must elect a representative from their team who will be able to lead the entire Edge AI development and integration process with external providers (AI Talents and HPC) during the 6-month support program, end-to-end.
• All proposals must demonstrate the ability that their proposed product can be applied in other potential industries or end-user processes.

Successful applicants will receive €74,000 in equity-free funding to develop their own AI solution over the course of the six-month accelerator program assisted by receiving guidance and support from external AI experts and High-Performance Computing (HPC) providers. 

Following the completion of the program, each participant in the cohort will be awarded ‘certified AI user’ status on the  Bonseyes Marketplace platform, secure and distributed AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) Platform built to reduce the time and development costs for AI@Edge products and software.

The final date to apply is November 2, 2022. It is strongly recommended that applicants carefully read their Guide for Applicants before proceeding to complete their Application Form available on the Fundingbox platform.

Disclosure: This article mentions a client of an Espacio portfolio company.