NetApp to mentor five new AI startups under its Excellerator program

NetApp's Excellerator Cohort 14 includes five startups—Synthefy, Filo Systems, Sentra, TrueFoundry, and Genloop.ai—selected for their innovations in LLMs, cloud security, and generative AI, highlighting India’s growing leadership in global advanced tech innovation

NetApp has kicked off a new chapter in innovation with the launch of Cohort 14 of its flagship startup accelerator program - NetApp Excellerator. The cohort reflects the growing influence of AI in business, featuring five high-potential startups—from pre-seed to Series B funded, focused on cutting-edge innovations in AI infrastructure and allied offerings.

The five startups that form Cohort 14 include: Synthefy, Filo Systems, Sentra, TrueFoundry, and Genloop.ai. The startups were chosen for their works across areas including customisable LLMs, cloud security, multi-modal generative AI models, and more. The startups from Israel and the USA demonstrate India’s mettle as a global hub of innovation and its leadership in advanced technologies. 

The participating startups bring to the table a range of innovative solutions that support the growth of AI infrastructure. Synthefy develops advanced algorithms, neural networks, and deep learning models, including the world's first foundation model for multi-modal time series data. Filo Systems’ offerings are designed to optimise storage and bandwidth usage, while Genloop.ai enables rapid deployment of LLMs, transforming proprietary data into tailored AI solutions.

Speaking on the launch of the cohort, Vasanthi Ramesh, Managing Director, NetApp India, said, "We're excited to welcome and partner with startups that are building transformative solutions using advanced technologies. The maturity stage and the focus area of each of the participating startups reflect our ongoing commitment to innovation with AI. Through the program, we offer resources, mentorship, and technological expertise they need to scale. I am looking forward to the collaborative success and witnessing how these AI-focused startups will shape the future of tech on a global stage."

The NetApp Excellerator program was launched in 2017 and has evolved to become one of the most sought-after accelerator programs in the country. Alumni from the program have collectively raised over $600Mn, out of which $25Mn was raised in the last three months alone - serving as a testament to the success of the program.

Talking about the expectation from the program, Yoav Regev, CEO, Sentra, said, "As organisations rapidly adopt AI, the need for intelligent, scalable, and privacy-first security is pivotal. We see this program as an incredible opportunity to combine forces, deepen our technology, provide better solutions to our customers, and help global organisations safeguard what matters the most: their data. And we are excited that we are partnering with a leader in the space that shares our vision!”

The program, recognised as one of the top five accelerator programs in India for corporate innovation by NexTT Awards, includes a proof-of-concept (PoC) model that allows entrepreneurs to demonstrate the effectiveness of their solutions in the real world. In collaboration with NetApp, the startups refine their minimum viable products (MVPs) and identify new use cases. This information is then used to develop their go-to-market strategies.