Scaling Mission-Driven Innovation: Fast Forward and Splunk’s Partnership

Since 2022, Fast Forward and Splunk, a Cisco company, have partnered to support tech nonprofits, especially those using data to address humanity’s toughest challenges. Now in our fourth year, the partnership continues to grow, grounded in a shared belief that data, when accessible and actionable, can unlock powerful solutions for social impact.

Splunk has long been a champion of the tech for good movement. Through support for Fast Forward’s Accelerator and Demo Day, Splunk has helped tech nonprofits access the mentorship, visibility, and resources they need to scale. And their partnership goes beyond funding. Splunk employees volunteer their time and expertise through Quick Consults. During these one-on-one sessions, they offer practical guidance to tech nonprofit leaders on topics like marketing, engineering, and product development.

This support has taken many forms over the years — $100K+ in philanthropic funding, access to Splunk’s product suite through their technology donation program, and pro bono technical guidance from Splunk employees. As Patricia Toothman, Social Impact Investments Lead at Splunk, shared, “We partner with Fast Forward because we believe in the mission and the model. Tech nonprofits are building data-driven tools to solve global challenges, and our role is to help them succeed. This partnership allows us to apply our people, products, and philanthropy toward building a more inclusive future.”

One powerful example of this partnership in action is Ersilia. This Fast Forward Accelerator alum is using open-source AI models to accelerate drug discovery in low-resource settings. Before Splunk, Ersilia’s small team managed data processes manually, which limited their ability to scale. With Splunk’s support, they automated key tasks, redesigned their dashboard, and improved their AWS pipeline. The results? A 5x increase in AI model development, a 10x improvement in antimalarial drug discovery, and more than 700 hours of manual work saved each year.

“We first met the Splunk team during our time in Fast Forward’s Accelerator. Since then, Splunk’s support has helped us move faster and smarter. Their pro bono team addressed key technical challenges, and the visibility from the case study opened new doors for Ersilia,” said Gemma Turon, Ersilia’s Co-Founder and Executive Director.

One of the Splunk volunteers who made a lasting impact was Professional Services Consultant Sai Nethala. Sai worked closely with the Ersilia team to improve their dashboard’s performance and usability. By streamlining backend processes and reducing redundant database calls, he helped cut load times from up to 20 seconds down to just a few seconds. Sai also introduced thoughtful design updates, making the dashboard cleaner, more cohesive, and easier to navigate, setting the stage for future UI improvements.

Ersilia’s open-source Model Hub now supports hundreds of researchers across the Global South, helping scientists accelerate biomedical discoveries without costly infrastructure. It’s a prime example of what’s possible when data tools are paired with deep mission alignment.

Looking ahead, Fast Forward and Splunk remain focused on bridging the data divide. We’ll continue to support tech nonprofits that are making data more usable, inclusive, and impactful. One exciting milestone ahead: Splunk data experts will join Fast Forward’s Data Bootcamp this August, offering hands-on guidance to help nonprofit builders make the most of their data.