Mass Challenge, a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators based in the United States, collaborates with IBM to train startups to solve problems using artificial intelligence (AI).
The startups must have at least one founder from an underrepresented identity, such as black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), non-binary, or female, according to the organization.
The three-month mentorship program includes a virtual launch hosted by IBM experts, as well as one-on-one meetings managed by each startup and mentor.
The cohort’s founders collaborated with various mentors from IBM and other organizations to address the specific needs of their startups, such as breaking into new customer bases, setting appropriate and strategic goals, transitioning from bootstrapping to new capital sources, and exploring additional avenues of scalability.
Mass Challenge formed a partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) last year to launch the Bridge to Mass Challenge Nigeria Program (B2MC)
More than 2,300 alumni have raised more than $5 billion in funding, generated over $2.7 billion in revenue, and created over 136,000 total jobs.
