OpenAI and Booking.com have jointly announced plans to launch an SME accelerator programme across six European countries, including the UK.
The AI-focussed accelerator aims to support more than 20,000 startups over the next year with training on the practical applications of the technology.
The programme, which is open to SMEs across all sectors regardless of their technical background, will consist of in-person workshops and virtual training sessions hosted on OpenAI Academy. Participation will be free of charge.
“AI is accelerating change across every industry, creating transformational opportunities for growth and innovation for businesses of all sizes,” said James Waters, chief business officer at Booking.com.
“Building a strong, successful AI ecosystem in Europe is vital to unlocking these opportunities, and we’re proud to partner on this initiative to further empower SMEs in their learning journey.”
Among the stated aims of the venture is to improve the equity in AI adoption. The firms pointed to research from Eurostat that found that while AI adoption among SMEs stands at 17% in 2025, among large enterprises it is 55%.
As well as the UK, the SME AI Accelerator will be active in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Ireland.
The accelerator programme is part of OpenAI’s EU Economic Blueprint 2.0 scheme, which aims to develop the European AI ecosystem.
OpenAI has also provided a €500,000 NGO grant to support EU research into youth safety and wellbeing.
