India
India
3 months
Seed to Series A
Google for Startups Accelerator: India program offers three-month, equity-free accelerator programs for Indian technology startups between Seed to Series A.
Selected startups receive expert mentorship and support around AI/ML, Cloud, UX, Android, Web, Product Strategy and Growth. In addition to Google technical project support, Accelerator programs include deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership.
India
3 months
Seed to Series A
Applications are now closed
Seed to Series A funded tech startups can express interest for the future classes
About the program
About the program
Google for Startups Accelerator: India focuses on bringing the best of Google’s technology, products, people and network to empower AI-first startups in the Seed to Series A stage to grow in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI.
The startups are paired with relevant Google and industry experts to solve their startup’s top challenges and are provided with insights and best practices to improve their product and business.
Key benefits
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Equity-free support
Equity-free support: For duration of program.
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Mentoring
Dedicated mentoring from Google teams.
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Training
Exclusive invitations to technical bootcamps hosted by Google where offered.
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Access to experts
Access to Google's network of industry experts.
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Google product credits
Eligible startups receive product credits.
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Early access
Access to new Google products and tools as relevant.
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Strategic support
Support on company and product strategy.
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Technical project partnership
Work hand in hand with experts from Google on your biggest tech challenges.
Entry Criteria
Entry Criteria
- Startups demonstrating traction, ideally between Seed and Series A stage.
- Startups based/headquartered in India.
- Building a scalable product with a significant total addressable market and defensible growth model.
- Deeply technical, leveraging technologies like Machine Learning and AI.
- Commitment from founder(s) and/or relevant people from startups to participate and engage in required program sessions.
Key Dates
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23 April, 2023
Class 7
Applications Close
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June, 2023
Class 7
Announcement
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27 September, 2023
Class 7
Graduation
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September, 2023
Class 8
Applications Close
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December, 2023
Class 8
Announcement
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March, 2024
Class 8
Graduation
Meet the Cohort
Notable Alumni
Meet our mentors
Product Strategy Consultant & Coach
VP, Customer Experience
Head of Cloud AI Services, Google India
India Lead, Google Health
Group Product Manager, Google Search / Co-founder, nearbuy
Co-Founder
Staff Software Engineer, Google Research
Director, New Business Sales Head
Design Director
Director, Google Play, India
Director - Product Management
Head - VC & Startups Coverage
Senior Product Manager
Developer Advocate , Developer Relations (Android)
Co-founder & COO
Product Manager
Lead, Developer Ecosystem India & MENA-T
UX & Product Design Coach
Founder
Head of DEI Recruiting , APAC
Head of Scaled Partnerships, Google Play
CEO
Founding Partner
Customer Engineer
Partner Manager, Google Play
Chief Design Officer
Staff Design Lead/Manager
Developer Advocate
Staff Web Ecosystem Consultant
Frequently asked questions
No, we do not take any equity or charge fee. The Google for Startups Accelerator: India programs are completely free of charge for all startups. All you need to contribute is your time and energy.
The accelerator program currently runs as a hybrid program. During the beginning of the program, we work with the startups selected into the accelerator and the anchor mentors to determine each startup’s challenges and support required from the program. Then these startups will go through an intensive 1-week long in-person Bootcamp around topics such as Product, Design, Technology, People & Growth, followed by the OKR (Objective Key Results) workshop to define their objective for the next 3 months.
The next two months of the program is all about supporting startups executing these objectives by providing access to our global network, 1:1 mentorships and 1:many sessions on demand virtually. The startups will also be paired with a dedicated Startup Success Manager (SSM) from Google to help startups get the best of Google - its people, network, thought leadership, and technology.
The graduated startups will be showcased through an in-person Demo Day with Google teams, mentors, VCs, media and different stakeholders from the Indian startup ecosystem. The engagement with the graduated startups will be continued through the Alumni program & network.
Google for Startups Accelerator: India Class 8 will run from December 2023 to March 2024.
You can refer to the key dates section above for more information.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: India targets Seed to Series A funded AI-first startups headquartered in India.
The startups should be past the "idea stage" with some level of customer validation and market traction with their product.
We are looking for Indian startups that are solving problems using advanced technology like AI/ML or data in healthcare, education, finance, media & entertainment, gaming, enterprise & other industries and that can scale globally.
We review the completed applications from the startups in parallel to the application phase to check their eligibility for the accelerator program. The eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts/program team and shortlist 40-60 startups for the interview/pitch session to evaluate the team, problem, solution and scalability. Then the shortlisted startups from the interview/pitch phase will be reviewed by the selection board for the final list. The final list of startups will receive the program contract to sign for the official announcement.
Note: All incomplete applications after the application deadline will be ineligible.
For over five years, Google has operated its Launchpad Accelerators which reach entrepreneurs in over 40 countries and include some of the most successful startups in the world in its global portfolio. Towards the end of 2019, all Launchpad Accelerators were renamed to Google for Startups Accelerator to simplify Google's startup offerings.
Both the Accelerators include deep dives and workshops in areas such as product design, customer acquisition, and founders’ leadership development along with mentoring and support on the design, tech, AI/ML, Cloud, UX, Android, Web, Product Strategy and Growth.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: India brings some custom programming and support for tech products and business challenges. If you are a growth-stage AI-first startup, we recommend you to apply for the Google for Startups Accelerator: India.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders includes tailored programming, content and mentorship focused on women founder specific topics and challenges with access to growth opportunities, networking and our global community of women founders.
The accelerator will be a hybrid one with a mix of virtual and in-person sessions.
Startups must meet specific criteria to be eligible for Google product credit offerings. To learn more about the Google Cloud credit eligibility requirements, please visit the Google Cloud startup page.