NetApp, the intelligent data infrastructure company, has unveiled the 14th cohort of its startup accelerator program, NetApp Excellerator, with a focus on advancing artificial intelligence innovation.

This new chapter features five promising startups selected for their cutting-edge work in AI infrastructure, cloud security, data compression, and large language models (LLMs).

The five startups in Cohort 14 are:

• Synthefy (multi-modal time series models)
• Filo Systems (data compression)
• Sentra (cloud data security)
• TrueFoundry (ML/LLM deployment platform)
• Genloop.ai (customised LLM deployment)

Since its inception in 2017, the NetApp Excellerator has supported 90 startups, facilitating 29 proof-of-concept (PoC) projects and helping alumni raise over USD 600 million collectively—USD 25 million of which came in just the last three months.

"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," said Vasanthi Ramesh, Managing Director of NetApp India.

"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," he added.

Cohort 11 of NetApp Excellerator

Zluri is a part of the latest cohort of NetApp Excellerator, and hopes to gain mentorship and access to prospects and partners. NetApp’s offerings and expertise in hybrid cloud data services are highly relevant to the team because they provide the necessary capabilities and infrastructure to ensure that they can operate effectively, securely, and efficiently in a hybrid cloud environment.

"As organisations rapidly adopt AI, the need for intelligent, scalable, and privacy-first security is pivotal," said Yoav Regev, CEO of Sentra. "We see this program as an incredible opportunity to deepen our technology and help global organisations safeguard their data."

The NetApp Excellerator program offers participating startups mentorship, technological guidance, and access to NetApp's customer and partner ecosystems. A defining element of the program is its PoC model, which enables startups to test their solutions in real-world environments, refine MVPs, and shape go-to-market strategies.

As AI reshapes industries, NetApp's initiative ensures that early-stage innovators have the tools and mentorship to lead the charge.