CoSTAR Emerge-AI
Backs early-stage UK creative-tech AI firms with a stipend, credits and mentorship.
Emerge-AI is designed to move a working prototype toward initial validation over three months, with participants deciding on a project pathway early on and then refining their product proposition, presentation and understanding of their market as the programme progresses. The five-thousand-pound stipend and cloud credits sit alongside hands-on workshops, one-to-one coaching from senior figures in …
The programme wants early-stage UK AI start-ups and SMEs with a working proof of concept who use AI as a core part of a product aimed at the creative industries — film, TV, gaming or live performance. Applicants should be seeking business growth, investment or other financing within the next 12 months.
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Guides for this application
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