George Osborne welcomes first cohort of startups at new OpenAI Greek Accelerator
OpenAI’s Head of OpenAI for Countries George Osborne has welcomed the first cohort of startups to the new OpenAI Greek Accelerator program.
Writing on LinkedIn, Osborne said the scheme received 240 applications, with 21 “exceptional” AI startups eventually chosen. The program combines an education pilot with ChatGPT Edu and an accelerator to support local startups. The startups cover sectors including health, fintech, robotics, education, defence, and others.
“This accelerator is a concrete delivery of our OpenAI for Greece partnership, and a practical example of how OpenAI is working with governments to help close the capability overhang we outlined in Davos. Turning cutting-edge AI into real economic and societal impact happens when countries like Greece back first movers, especially startups,” Osborne shared on LinkedIn.
He also shared that OpenAI has started rolling out ChatGPT Edu to upper-secondary schools in Greece, starting with a teacher training program and preparing for students to be given access.
“Supporting Greek founders, educators and students in accessing the best AI technologies is about something bigger: making Greece an even more attractive place to build and create, retaining talent, and helping the country leapfrog in competitiveness through responsible AI adoption,” Osborne added.
“Congratulations to the 21 selected teams, and thank you to @Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his Government, and Endeavor Greece and OpenAI team for making this possible. This is only the beginning.”
Former UK chancellor George Osborne joined OpenAI as Head of OpenAI for Countries last year. Osborne previously served as UKV chancellor of the exchequer from 2010 to 2016, where he played a central role in shaping the UK’s economic and fiscal policy following the global financial crisis. Since leaving frontline politics, he has held senior roles across media, finance, and public policy.
