AWS Startups Blog

AWS launches GenAI Loft Tour to accelerate AI innovation in startup and developer communities worldwide

AWS GenAI Loft coming to a city near you

Startups have always been the lifeblood of innovation. They are the frontrunners in new technologies adoption, and when it comes to generative artificial intelligence (AI), they are poised to transform industries and shape the future. That’s why we recently announced a commitment of $230 million to accelerate the creation of generative AI applications by startups around the world as well as the second-annual AWS Generative AI Accelerator. With these efforts, we are doubling down on our commitment to support startup founders to innovate faster and reinvent customer experiences and applications with generative AI.

Building on this news, today we are announcing the AWS GenAI Lofts, a global tour of pop-up collaborative spaces and immersive experiences for startups and developers that will take residence in innovation and AI hubs around the globe. This initiative also represents our commitment to make it easy for developers of all skill levels to build and scale generative AI applications. Similar to the AWS Startup Lofts that started in 2014, the AWS GenAI Lofts provide a one-stop destination for in-person engagement for startups and developers to learn how to use and implement generative AI technology, get up to speed on the latest trends, and connect with a wider community of technology and business experts.

With AWS GenAI Lofts, startups, developers, and AI enthusiasts can get hands-on AI products and services from AWS Partners and AWS, including Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Q. Developers will have the opportunity to gain greater understanding of advanced techniques, such as building agentic workflows and tuning foundation models, and dig deeper into generative AI use cases and demos. Visitors can experience exclusive sessions led by industry luminaries, make connections with generative AI investors and leaders, and get their questions answered in-person by generative AI experts.

Pop-ups will open for up to 12 weeks in global innovation hubs, including:

  • AWS GenAI Loft | Bengaluru: July 29, 2024
  • AWS GenAI Loft | San Francisco: August 12, 2024
  • AWS GenAI Loft | São Paulo: September 2, 2024
  • AWS GenAI Loft | London: September 30, 2024
  • AWS GenAI Loft | Paris: October 8, 2024

Visitors will benefit from immersive experiences showcasing cutting-edge generative AI projects, workshops, fireside chats, and hands-on programming from AI experts and AWS partners AnthropicCerebral Valley, and Weights & Biases, among others. Each city will host a roster of esteemed AI experts and thought leaders, including machine learning data scientists. These sessions will provide access to some of the brightest minds in the field with daily events. Visitors can also leverage the Ask an Expert Bar to get their questions answered by AWS Solutions Architects.

While each pop-up GenAI Loft is open, startups and developers can take advantage of programs, workshops, and tools, including:

Experiential Series

This series highlights not just luminary speakers, but incorporates seeing, feeling, and even touching generative AI through real-life applications. Experiences include seeing immersive robotics art-making in motion, spotlighting cultural influencers who are using generative AI to enrich experiences. These “Artist-in-Residence” sessions are interactive and experiential, bringing generative AI technology to life.

Bootcamps

Bootcamps are immersive three-day programs designed to equip founders and developers with new skills, frameworks, and resources to propel their business forward. The programs are tailored to the needs of both business and technical founders, providing a combination of hands-on workshops and interactive sessions.

Immersion Days

AWS Solution-Focused Immersion Days are a series of events designed to provide startups employees and developers with hands-on experience using generative AI services and discover efficient methodologies to help problem-solve through generative AI.

Startup Talks

Startup Talks provide a comprehensive learning experience for startup founders, covering technical, business, and personal aspects of the entrepreneurial journey, while also incorporating the perspectives of investors, industry partners, and startup experts. These talks will feature a mix of content led by leaders and founders from some of the top startups in the world.

To find out when the AWS GenAI Loft tour is coming to a city near you, get more details on programming, and register, visit aws.amazon.com/startups/lp/aws-gen-ai-lofts.

Learn, build, and connect with the generative AI community

Adam Seligman

Adam Seligman

Adam Seligman is Vice President of Generative Builders at Amazon Web Services (AWS), overseeing services and tools for front-end web and mobile developers, including AWS Amplify, AWS AppSync, and new AWS low- and no-code services. In this role, Adam is responsible for products that offer delightful experiences, powered by generative AI, for developers and their teams. With over 20 years of experience in the tech industry working with developers, Adam serves as an externally facing executive representing AWS in the developer and customer community.