GSMA Launches New AI Innovation Fund for Startups

GSMA launches new AI innovation fund for startups. The GSMA, in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has launched the GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI, to empower small and growing enterprises in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

This initiative, according to a statement from GSMA dated January 30, 2025, seeks to address a critical global challenge. Ensuring LMICs are not left behind in the AI revolution and can harness emerging and mobile technologies to drive inclusive and sustainable development.

Applications for the Fund, which opened on 29 January 2025, recognise the untapped potential of AI and emerging technologies in LMICs. The goal is to harness these tools to create inclusive and sustainable solutions. It is design to the unique needs of these communities, fostering resilience and driving meaningful impact.

Driving Change Through Innovation

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI is designed to:

• Empower Impactful Solutions: Grants ranging from £100,000 to £250,000 will be provided over a 15- to 18-month period, enabling enterprises to test and scale solutions that address critical challenges.
• Accelerate Growth: Tailored support will help enterprises build partnerships with mobile network operators, attract investors, and develop scalable business models.
• Foster Capacity Building: Beneficiaries will gain access to bootcamps, learning exchanges, and global industry events such as MWC to build their technical and operational expertise.
• Enhance Impact Measurement: Enterprises will receive support to monitor and report the socio-economic and climate impacts of their innovations.

While technologies like AI, IoT, and mobile big data are gaining traction globally, their application in LMICs remains limited. This Fund aims to close this gap by:

• De-risking innovation: Supporting cutting-edge solutions designed to benefit low-income and vulnerable communities.
• Strengthening resilience: Ensuring the sustainability and scalability of AI-driven solutions through local partnerships.
• Raising awareness: Showcasing the transformative potential of AI to create lasting change in LMICs.

Targeting Diverse Local Challenges

The Fund targets LMICs in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific regions, seeking to support AI-driven innovations across a broad range of sectors. By addressing diverse local challenges, we aim to enable impactful solutions that drive socio-economic development and climate resilience. Examples of potential areas of impact include (but are not limited to) healthcare, education, financial services, and climate change adaptation. Projects will need to:

• Leverage AI innovations (e.g., predictive and generative AI) to deliver scalable and positive socio-economic or climate impacts.
• Utilise emerging technologies such as IoT, blockchain, or mobile big data
• Directly benefit low-income and vulnerable communities.
• Show clear pathways to sustainability and scalability through strong local partnerships and ecosystem engagement.

A Vision for Local Leadership and Inclusion

The Fund prioritises enterprises that are female-founded or female-led and actively address gender inequities. By supporting locally led organisations, the initiative also aims to build regional capacity, foster leadership, and deliver impactful, community-driven outcomes.

Applications Now Open

Applications are open until 19 March 2025, 23:59 GMT. Full eligibility criteria and application details can be found here.

The GSMA’s Head of Mobile for Development, Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, said: “AI and emerging technologies have immense potential to tackle global challenges. But much of their development has focused on advanced markets, leaving a gap in the solutions designed for and by communities in LMICs. The GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI seeks to change this by empowering enterprises in these regions to harness AI for transformative, inclusive, and sustainable development where it is needed most.”