Amazon.com’s cloud unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced a major new initiative: $1 billion in cloud credits for startups developing generative AI solutions in 2025.
AWS CEO Matt Garman’s announcement at the annual re:Invent customer conference comes at a crucial time when access to financial resources is decreasing while contractor cloud spending is increasing.
This week’s event in Las Vegas, Nevada, brought together 60,000 software developers and technology professionals, with 400,000 viewers online, and featured 3,500 speakers and 1,900 different sessions.
It is a platform for the latest updates to the AWS ecosystem, especially in the ever-evolving area of generative AI.
Speaking publicly for the first time as CEO, Garman said generative AI has the potential to radically transform every existing industry.
“Historically, startups have always driven such change. That’s why now is the perfect time to think about how you, as a startup, can transform industries,” he said. declared.
“In fact, we support startups so much that I’m excited to announce that AWS will provide $1 billion in cloud credits globally to startups in 2025. We’re taking this step as we continue to invest in your success .
First customers
In a period where access to financial resources is becoming increasingly difficult, such an announcement represents a significant step for startups seeking to implement their solutions.
At the re:Invent event, Garman recalled AWS’s beginnings in 2006, when their first customers were startups, emphasizing the special place he believes enterprises hold for the company.
“What I like most about startups is their willingness to try new technologies. They adapt quickly, provide us with great feedback, push us to innovate, and add their innovations to ours. They evolve incredibly fast and we’re learning a lot from “There’s never been a more exciting time to be a startup, especially with generative AI,” he noted.
AWS aims to leverage its cloud advantages to gain an edge over competitors, ensuring that the AI learning curve takes place on the AWS platform.
A 100 billion dollar giant
At the event, Amazon Web Services highlighted its next-generation solutions while emphasizing that AI alone is not a panacea. Companies must remain focused on the current challenges of digital transformation without losing sight of their main objectives.
Garman’s presentation didn’t ignore AI but focused on the core services that have made AWS a $100 billion a year business, namely computing, storage and foundations. of data.
Garman, who has been with AWS since its inception, reiterated the company’s fundamental role in providing the raw materials of the modern digital economy.
His presentation was divided into two parts, focusing, among other things, on new developments in the core services that generate the bulk of AWS’s revenue.
Garman, who began his career at Amazon Web Services running the flagship compute service EC2, introduced new compute instances running on NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips and AWS’s own Trainium2 chips, which are now generally available.
Its key announcements focused on EC2 cloud computing and AI workloads using Tranium and Inferentia chips, highlighting NVIDIA’s move away from industry reliance.
Support against competitors
Benoit Dupin, Apple’s senior director of machine learning and AI, made a notable appearance, symbolizing notable support for Amazon’s AI race against cloud rivals like Microsoft and Google.
Dupin pointed out that Apple uses Amazon’s services extensively for products and services such as the iPad, Apple Music, Apple TV, News, App Store and Siri. He highlighted the critical role of AWS behind Apple Intelligence. Using AWS’s Amazon Graviton and Inferentia chips for machine learning inference workloads, Apple achieved efficiency improvements of more than 40% compared to x86 instances.
He noted that Apple is currently evaluating AWS’ recently announced AI training chip, Trainium2. Based on early testing, Apple expects up to a 50% improvement in efficiency by pre-training its models on this chip.
JPMorgan’s digital transformation
Lori Beer, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of JPMorgan Chase, was another high-profile guest discussing digital transformation in the financial industry.
Beer explained how JPMorgan Chase has significantly modernized its technology over the past four years, migrating hundreds of applications and rebuilding the global banking and payments infrastructure using Amazon Web Services such as Aurora, Graviton and various computing and database solutions.
Cloud technology drives digitalization for all organizations
One of Turkey’s leading telecommunications and technology companies, Türk Telekom, is leveraging its cloud solutions to help revolutionize the way organizations and businesses access digitalization capabilities.
The “Türk Telekom Cloud” platform provides a single point of access to a variety of services, including virtual data centers, storage, backup/business continuity solutions and cybersecurity solutions.
The company is known for its solutions, seeking to provide end-to-end digital solutions to public institutions and the private sector. With next-generation, efficiency-driven digital technologies such as data centers, cloud services and cybersecurity, Türk Telekom Cloud provides value-added turnkey services to enterprises and public institutions in Turkey, offering thus a global competitive advantage.
Recognizing national security as an essential element, Türk Telekom continues to support the local ecosystem in the field of cybersecurity. The company is constantly updating its products and services to counter the increase in cyberattacks, offering enterprise security services through Turkey’s largest cybersecurity center.
It acts with the vision of “using local and national products in critical infrastructure” and continues its investments and efforts to localize high-cost critical products and support the local ecosystem. The company is increasing the proportion of local products used in its cybersecurity services.
By developing domestic products and collaborating with local manufacturers, Türk Telekom ensures that Türkiye data remains in the country and supports the growth of the local ecosystem.
Zeynep Özden, Deputy General Manager for Marketing and Customer Experience at Türk Telekom, says the company continues to lead Turkey’s digital transformation with local and national technologies through Türk Telekom Cloud, providing global competitive advantages to public institutions and the private sector.
“Today, sustainable growth requires companies to be more dynamic, flexible and innovative. Companies that use technology well and design their digitalization strategies correctly are the ones that succeed. Through “Türk Telekom Cloud”, we support the innovation and digital transformation of institutions and provide flexible solutions to their capacity needs without depending on procurement periods,” said Özden.
“We help our clients gain competitive advantage and increase business value through efficiency. Our cloud solutions shape the technology infrastructure of organizations and businesses, accelerating their digital transformation and providing them with a competitive advantage,” she added.
“We will continue to offer the latest and safest technologies to our users in our country along with the rest of the world.”
AI Integration Platform Yurts Secures $40M Series B Funding
Yurts, an artificial intelligence integration platform, announced that it has successfully secured a $40 million investment in a Series B funding round led by XYZ Venture Capital.
The round also saw participation from Glynn Capital, Nava Ventures, Bloomberg Beta and Mango Capital.
Founded in 2022 by Ben Van Roo, Jason Schnitzer and Guruprasad Raghavan, Yurts provides generative AI solutions that help defense, government and enterprise customers transform critical workflows.
The company is developing a platform that integrates AI models into high security systems. Yurts plans to use this investment to accelerate its growth by integrating its generative AI technology into secure systems.
Yurts collaborates with the U.S. Department of Defense, emphasizing the importance of defense at the government level. By integrating AI models to meet high security requirements, the company helps reduce the risk of data breaches.
Yurts aims to evolve AI solutions beyond experimental use, integrating them into mission-critical systems, ensuring more efficient and practical application of new technologies.
Togg collaborates with startups to improve user experience
Togg, the manufacturer of Turkey’s first electric vehicle brand, aiming to create an open and user-centric mobility ecosystem, came together with the entrepreneurial ecosystem this week at the Türkiye Expo 2024 event.
The company used the event, organized by Plug and Play, to present its detailed agreements within the startup ecosystem, focusing on applications aimed at improving user experience.
Türkiye Expo 2024 brought together local and global players in the innovation ecosystem. Togg participated with its fully electric C-segment SUV T10X and engaged with institutions and startups from various sectors.
Its general director, Gürcan Karakaş, shared the company’s innovation journey with other participants.
A few seconds to detect damage
Togg presented the PDI Tunnel, an artificial intelligence-based quality control, damage detection and digital forensics device developed in collaboration with technology company Wyseye.
The device can detect even the smallest damage within seconds. Vehicles passing through a tunnel specially equipped with cameras and lighting are subject to instant inspections, automating checks that were previously carried out manually.
At the event, Togg also announced its partnership with Cerebrum Tech to develop AI-based applications aimed at improving user experience.
These innovative applications will be available on the Tru.Store platform for T10X users, offering practical solutions integrating the latest technologies that simplify daily life.