Data infrastructure company Vasanthi Ramesh-led NetApp India has launched the 15th cohort of its startup accelerator programme, NetApp Excellerator, selecting five deep-tech startups working in areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, workflow automation and enterprise data intelligence. The latest cohort brings together startups from India, the United States and Israel that are building technologies aimed at helping enterprises deploy AI at scale. The programme is designed to provide founders with access to NetApp’s technology leaders, mentorship, data infrastructure expertise and opportunities to explore proof-of-concept (PoC) engagements.
The company said the programme has supported 23 women-led startups since its launch. <Commenting on the selection, not a direct quote rewrite> Naren Meadem, founder and CEO of QUIPU AI, said participation in the accelerator would help the company validate its technology in enterprise environments and explore how its long-term memory capabilities can support AI initiatives at scale. NetApp said its accelerator programme has supported 90 startups across 14 previous cohorts since its launch in 2017. Participating companies have collectively raised more than $600 million in funding, while the programme has facilitated 30 proof-of-concept engagements and resulted in six commercial contracts with NetApp.
Two startups in the cohort, Cogover and QUIPU AI, are part of ExcellerateHER, NetApp’s initiative to support women-founded and women-led startups.