Orange Fab launches Fab Connect(ai)

Orange Fab, which is an Orange Silicon Valley initiative for connecting startups to corporations for proof-of-concept projects, distribution, or investment opportunities, is kicking off an accelerator program called Fab Connect(ai) focused on artificial intelligence.

Fab Connect(ai) will run in partnership with a group of top-tier investors led by Cathay Innovation, Iris Capital, Michelin Ventures, Total Energy Ventures and Homebrew. It is being launched in collaboration with prominent partners, including Google Cloud’s Startup Program, NVIDIA’s Inception Program, Microsoft IoT & AI Insider Labs, LAB IX Flex Ventures, Publicis Groupe, Groupe Seb, Michelin, Valeo, Ping An Technology and Lumi.

Startups that participate in Fab Connect(ai) will have access to a network of seed-stage investors and corporations providing technical resources and real-world business challenges.

“Fab Connect(ai) is one of the first accelerator programs to align capital with global growth opportunities sustained by such a network of partners,” noted Georges Nahon, CEO of Orange Silicon Valley, the home of Orange Fab. “Our goal with Fab Connect(ai) is to identify the most promising startups in AI & IoT, a domain of growing importance for Orange and our Fab Force members.”

“Fab Connect(ai) is the only global initiative designed to empower AI with the benefits of smart connectivity, from a collaborative and global perspective, and with an extensive network of influential partners,” said Denis Barrier, co-founder and CEO of Cathay Innovation. “As a global venture capital fund deeply committed in the fourth industrial revolution, Cathay Innovation believes that this approach can be helpful for the rise of a Super AI able to foster the next wave of digital transformation.”

http://www.orangefab.com/connect