NVIDIA (NVDA.US)-backed Cassava Technologies aims to raise up to $700 million to construct and upgrade AI chip-equipped data centers across Africa, making AI services more accessible to businesses, nonprofits, and underserved populations. Cassava CEO Hardy Pemhiwa revealed that the Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa-founded company will secure funding through debt and equity, though specifics remain undisclosed.
The initiative targets deploying 12,000 NVIDIA GPUs across data centers in four African regions, starting in South Africa before expanding to the north, east, and west. Cassava is collaborating with the Rockefeller Foundation to provide computing power to nonprofits, aiming to slash costs in agriculture, healthcare, and education.
Pemhiwa stated, "Our partnership with Rockefeller subsidizes computing resources to fuel Africa’s AI startup ecosystem, enabling solutions tailored to local challenges using African data." While global tech giants invest billions in data centers, Africa holds under 1% of global capacity. Yet AI adoption is accelerating, driven by the continent’s young, fast-growing population bridging gaps in banking and services.
Cassava’s "game-changing" model offers tiered discounts via a points system—the more successful a startup or nonprofit, the greater the AI cost savings. Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah emphasized, "Cutting-edge science should benefit all, not just a privileged few. African innovators need tools to shape their future."
Around 1,100 African startups in agriculture and healthcare are under review, including nonprofit Digital Green, which advises small farmers on disease management and practices. Backed by Google (GOOGL.US), Microsoft (MSFT.US), and Meta (META.US), Digital Green has reduced per-farmer outreach costs from $35/year to 3.5 cents, now serving 8 million people in Africa and Southeast Asia via AI-powered WhatsApp consultations.
Founder Rikin Gandhi noted, "Local AI hubs are critical—relying on North American servers increases latency and costs." Cassava’s plan could further scale such initiatives by lowering expenses and delays.
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