In a remarkable achievement for the Pakistani tech landscape, Traversaal.ai has secured a $100,000 grant at Meta’s AI Accelerator Finals held in Singapore.
The US$100K grant will allow the company to use Meta’s open source large language model (LLM) Llama to create an Urdu Llama model to connect 250 million Urdu speakers worldwide.
The announcement came at Meta’s APAC AI Accelerator Finals held in Singapore. The AI Accelerator program received an overwhelming response, with over 720 companies and developers submitting projects that leveraged Llama for impactful use cases in education, public services, and economic development. The top five finalists from 13 markets came together to showcase their innovative solutions, vying for grants to further their work.
Winners of Meta APAC AI Accelerator Finals 2024
🥇 Winner: traversaal.ai (Pakistan) – Traversaal.ai has emerged as the winner of the Meta APAC AI Accelerator Finals, securing a $100,000 grant for their innovative project that leverages Llama to power a virtual tutor offering high-quality learning resources in both English and Urdu. This groundbreaking initiative aims to support 2.5 billion non-English speakers.
🥈 1st Runner-Up: Tulibot (Indonesia) – Tulibot, an AI-based tool designed to enhance communication for the hearing impaired, took second place and received a $15,000 grant. This project features AI wearable glasses that automatically transcribe conversations, showcasing Indonesia’s commitment to inclusivity.
🥉 2nd Runner-Up: Netsafe (New Zealand) – Netsafe from New Zealand rounded out the top three, earning a $10,000 grant for their work in online safety, providing free support, advice, and education to help people navigate the digital landscape safely.
Among the other finalists, Singapore’s AI-driven fintech startup Perfingo and Taiwan’s Bio Architecture Formosana also showcased impressive innovations, contributing to a diverse and impactful competition. Congratulations to all the participants for their remarkable contributions!
Urdu Llama Model aims to connect 250 million speakers globally
Traversaal.ai from Pakistan emerged victorious, winning a $100,000 grant for its development of an Urdu Llama model using Meta’s Llama model. This Urdu Llama model is set to bridge communication for 250 million Urdu speakers worldwide. The win highlights the potential of AI-driven solutions in addressing linguistic and cultural challenges in the Asia Pacific region.
Travelsaal.ai founder Hamza Farooq expressed his excitement, stating, “We are beyond thrilled to be representing Pakistan at this level. It’s a great honor to be here in Singapore, the hub of technology, and we are extremely grateful to Meta for enabling us to convert our dreams into reality.”
Kanwal Mehreen, a 2024 graduate of NUST and an NLP Researcher at Traversaal.ai, said: “Great achievements come from a great team, and I am especially grateful to my company’s CEO, Hamza Farooq, for his continued support, mentorship, and openness to new ideas.” Kanwal expressed gratitude to her supportive team, including Ali Shafique, Maaz Amjad, Sabur B., and Raghavan, as well as people from Meta, Deloitte, Cerebral Valley, and e27.
This victory highlights the importance of perseverance and innovation in the tech sector, and the team is eager to build on this momentum, she said.
Meta launches AI Accelerator Program to empower Asia Pacific startups
Meta’s APAC AI Accelerator program was aimed at empowering startups across the Asia Pacific region. The initiative seeks to help innovative companies and developers integrate Meta’s open-source AI model Llama into their products to support the next wave of technological advancements. Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The launch event coincided with the Meta APAC AI Accelerator Finals. Mrs. Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, and Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta attended the event.
Clegg revealed plans for a Singapore-specific incubator program aimed at supporting 100 enterprises in enhancing their understanding of generative AI and Llama. “Meta’s AI Incubator program is a strong example of how Singapore continues to support businesses in embracing cutting-edge technologies like generative AI,” said Philbert Gomez, Executive Director of Digital Industry Singapore.
The initiative, which connects participants with expert mentorship, aligns seamlessly with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0), designed to promote AI adoption among startups and businesses.
During a fireside chat at the event, Minister Teo and Clegg discussed responsible AI development and deployment practices, emphasizing how Singapore encourages AI innovation. Minister Teo noted, “Singapore’s collaborations with leading industry players like Meta can contribute to realizing our vision of AI for the Public Good.”
Clegg echoed her sentiments, stating, “Open sourcing AI helps ensure more people can access the opportunities that AI provides.” He highlighted the impressive submissions from the region, showcasing how startups are using Llama to tackle major societal challenges.
