American private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners (GCP) has acquired U.K.-based InspiredMinds!, a global technology and science strategy group concentrated on the fast-growing AI and AI healthcare markets. Founded as a female-owned business in 2017, InspiredMinds! touts itself as the world’s largest and most active AI community across more than 160 countries and focuses on the ethical development of AI.
“It is a critical point in time for human-AI collaboration,” InspiredMinds!’ CEO and founder Sarah Porter said in a statement, “and with the support of Growth Catalyst Partners, we are poised to supercharge the work of our community by critically focusing on equitable AI and the opportunities that this presents to our future world.”
Its global community is comprised of more than 300,000 professionals across the AI ecosystem, including government, policymakers, big tech, academics and researchers, startups, investors and VCs, corporate enterprises, associations, and NGOs. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
InspiredMinds! has partnered with the United Nations on its Sustainable Development Goals initiative and advises the UN, World Health Organization, Royal Society, and the European Union, as well as many international bodies and national heads of government. The group also holds large-scale AI summits, including World Summit AI and Intelligent Health, and its projects include building a high school in Afghanistan that provides exposure to emerging technologies and AI.
What the Future Holds
To fuel the continued expansion of InspiredMinds!, GCP said it would integrate the community into the Data Society Group, a U.S.-based platform that develops future workforces through data and AI and advances its purpose of fostering inclusive, equitable, and safe adoption of emerging technologies. InspiredMinds! will continue to operate as an independent company and plans to launch festival-style AI summits in the United States in 2025.
“Sarah and her team have built a critical ecosystem essential to the ethical development of AI, and we look forward to helping InspiredMinds! expand their reach and impact globally,’’ managing director of GCP Connor Dawson told eWeek. “Data Society Group’s mission naturally complements InspiredMinds!’s efforts, and we believe the combination will help form an essential community and resource for AI and data leaders globally.”
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