Aptos Foundation has announced a partnership with Ignition AI Accelerator, an Nvidia-backed initiative aimed at accelerating the growth of artificial intelligence-focused startups in Asia.

The collaboration brings together Aptos Foundation and the NVIDIA, Tribe, and Digital Industry Singapore-backed AI Ignition Accelerator to drive the next stage of AI growth in the Asia Pacific region.

Eyeing AI startups in APAC

According to an announcement shared on X, the partnership will leverage Aptos (APT)’s blockchain technology as well as funding support. 

These resources will be earmarked for startups accepted into the accelerator program. Meanwhile, Aptos Foundation expects to tap into Microsoft’s OpenAI Service to eliminate adoption barriers, the companies stated.

Ng Yi Ming, director at Ignition AI Accelerator, noted that the integration will go beyond fueling AI growth. It is expected to drive synergies globally, combining resources and expertise to empower entrepreneurs and teams across the ecosystem.

Aptos blockchain’s expanding ecosystem

The Aptos ecosystem supports a growing number of projects, from decentralized finance, gaming, and tooling to stablecoins and marketplaces. Other projects include non-fungible token tooling, decentralized physical infrastructure networks, bridges, and AI.

In June 2024, entertainment giant NBCUniversal announced a long-term collaboration with Aptos, selecting the blockchain network for its gaming and fan experience initiatives. The move followed an initial partnership in September 2023.

In July 2024, event ticketing platform KYD Labs partnered with Le Poisson Rouge to bring the historic venue’s shows and tickets on-chain via Aptos. The blockchain platform also recently teamed up with streaming platform myco to bring web3 entertainment to the mainstream.

Singapore-based Ignition AI Accelerator, launched in May 2024, is backed by government accelerator program Tribe and AI chip maker NVIDIA.