GAIA Generative AI Accelerator Allocates $160 Million for 120 Startups

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo
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GAIA Generative AI Accelerator Allocates $160 Million for 120 Startups

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo

Supported by Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), in cooperation with New Native Inc., GAIA, the generative artificial-intelligence (AI) accelerator, contributed to supporting and empowering start-ups specialized in generative AI with the aim of improving them and accelerating their entry to the market.

GAIA has established four AI Hackathons so far, where more than 7,000 participants and AI developers have created 185 prototypes. The program budget has reached $30 million with the aim of empowering 300 startups in generative AI.

The first batch of GAIA accelerator was launched in July 2023 with the participation of 15 startups with the value of its investment fund amounting to $160 million that aims to invest in 120 companies in the early stages, as it tracks the progress of startups automatically using generative AI techniques.

The establishment of GAIA falls within efforts of SDAIA and NTDP to enhance the Kingdom’s pioneering scientific status as a leading enabler of AI technologies.

GAIA works on empowering the environmental AI systems in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region through offering programs that target the entrepreneurship sector and technology startups and attract Al-driven businesses in the Kingdom.



Apple Names Insider Sabih Khan as COO

The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
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Apple Names Insider Sabih Khan as COO

The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)

Apple on Tuesday named insider Sabih Khan as its chief operating officer, taking over from Jeff Williams, as part of a long-planned succession.

Khan, who has been with Apple for 30 years and is currently the senior vice president of operations, will take on the new role later this month, the iPhone maker said in a statement.

Before joining Apple's procurement group in 1995, he worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics.

Williams will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee the company's design team and Apple Watch.

The design team will report directly to Cook after Williams retires late in the year.