Cassava Technologies and The Rockefeller Foundation have launched a major collaboration to expand access to artificial intelligence computing for African organizations. Through this initiative, Cassava will provide AI compute capacity—powered by NVIDIA infrastructure—to several of the Foundation’s grantees working across Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. The effort aims to boost productivity, spur innovation, and help African institutions fully participate in the rapidly expanding global AI economy.
The partnership comes as Africa faces a critical gap in digital infrastructure, with the continent currently hosting less than one percent of global data center capacity despite being home to nearly 20 percent of the world’s population. As Africa’s AI market is projected to grow significantly, the availability of local compute capacity is seen as essential for developing AI applications suited to local languages, datasets, and challenges. Cassava’s planned AI factory is intended to empower startups, governments, academic institutions, and enterprises to build more inclusive and locally relevant AI solutions.
The Rockefeller Foundation emphasized that AI, when applied responsibly, can transform communities by improving healthcare, agriculture, and education. The collaboration reflects a shared goal of ensuring that technological advances benefit all Africans, enabling innovators to create tools that support better livelihoods and expand opportunity. Both partners highlighted that investing in African-led AI capabilities is key to driving economic development and empowering the continent’s youth.
Several organizations will be among the first to benefit from the expanded compute access. Digital Green is using AI to provide smallholder farmers with localized, real-time agricultural advice at dramatically lower cost, helping increase productivity and resilience. Jacaranda Health is developing multilingual, culturally attuned AI tools to connect mothers and newborns with life-saving care in Kenya. Rising Academies is leveraging AI to strengthen learning outcomes for students across West and Central Africa by offering personalized educational support and reducing administrative burdens on teachers.
Cassava has recently launched its GPU-as-a-Service platform across secure data centers on the continent. The company continues to expand this infrastructure across multiple regions, reinforcing its commitment to responsible AI adoption and ensuring that social-sector organizations can access powerful computing tools. The partnership underlines Cassava’s broader mission to build an inclusive and competitive AI ecosystem in Africa, where innovators are not only consumers of technology but active creators shaping the future.
