KUALA LUMPUR: FeedMe, a hospitality startup from Malaysia, is among 23 companies chosen from across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region to participate in the inaugural Google AI Academy.

FeedMe chief technology officer Lo King Wei said the company is developing a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency of food and beverage operations.

"At FeedMe, we assist restaurant owners in making faster and more accurate decisions to grow their businesses. With guidance from the Google AI Academy, we aim to achieve transformative results for our solutions," he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Google's head of startups for Asia Pacific, Michael Kim, expressed enthusiasm for launching the first AI Academy in the region.

"AI has the potential to be an incredible force multiplier, and it is remarkable to see these 23 startups harnessing AI's potential to tackle significant challenges," he said.

Kim highlighted the various challenges being addressed, including improving access to financial services and healthcare in underserved sectors, creating AI collaborators for lawyers, and democratising influencer marketing through AI-generated avatars.

"Through this programme, we hope to foster a wave of innovation that will make a meaningful impact across the Asia-Pacific region," he added.

The AI Academy aims to assist startups in refining their AI solutions and advancing their business growth.

The programme commences this week with a three-day interactive boot camp in Singapore, gathering participating founders from Malaysia and six other countries: Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Pakistan.

Startups in the programme will benefit from over 170 hours of tailored mentoring from AI and Cloud experts, up to US$350,000 in Google Cloud credits, and the opportunity to connect with fellow AI innovators across the APAC region. (US$1 = RM4.30).

The highlight of the AI Academy will occur in December 2024, featuring Graduation Day, where startups will showcase their refined AI solutions to investors, entrepreneurs and leaders in the AI industry.

-- BERNAMA