Europe, Middle East, Africa
Growth Academy:
AI for GovTech
Europe, Middle East, Africa–hybrid
Three months
A hybrid program that will support startups using AI to assist governments and enhance community services. The program will provide founders and their teams with the essential growth skills, internationalization strategies, and Google tools and products to help them scale.
Europe, Middle East, Africa–hybrid
Three months
About the program
About the program
Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for GovTech is a three-month program for EMEA-based Seed to Series A startups using AI to develop solutions that support governments and enhance communities in vital sectors such as agriculture, cybersecurity, education, energy, housing, transportation, and manufacturing.
Featuring a series of workshops, mentoring and networking events, the program helps founders develop data-driven strategies for acquiring new customers and partnerships, tools to innovate responsibly with emerging technologies, and expand to new markets.
After the initial three months of core content, startups continue to receive product support and mentorship from Google to help them address their challenges.
The kickoff and graduation sessions will be held in person (the locations will be made public in the coming months); the rest of the program will be conducted virtually.
Key benefits
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Equity-free
Three months of equity-free support.
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Custom Mentorship
Receive tailored product and leadership support from Google mentors and industry experts.
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Google product support and advice
Learn product tips and tricks directly from the Googlers who built them.
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Global connections
Become a part of Google for Startups global alumni network with founders from over 135 countries.
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Go Global
Get key insights and best practices to expand your business to new markets.
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Founder network
Connect and get support from fellow founders as a part of Google for Startups alumni network.
Entry criteria
Entry criteria
- Seed to Series A startups currently based in Europe, the Middle East, and/or Africa —and looking to scale internationally.
- Focused on AI to innovate in government technology in areas such as digital public services, smart cities, digital infrastructure, public health, education, energy, environmental and climate response, safety, and security
- Startups must have demonstrated traction (funding, users, revenue).
- Startups must have a scalable product or service, with both a significant total addressable market and a defensible growth model.
Key dates
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June 30, 2025
Application deadline
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July – August 2025
Founder interviews
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Early September 2025
Cohort announcement
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Late September - Early October 2025
In-person program kickoff
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September – December 2025
Core program
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December 2025
In-person graduation
Growth Academy Alumni
Frequently asked questions
Startups play a vital role in govtech by bringing agile innovation and technological solutions to support governments and enhance services for communities. This could include but is not limited to digital public services, smart cities, digital infrastructure, public health, education, energy, environmental and climate response, safety, and security.
The program will mostly require one to two hours of your time per week to attend your mentoring and group sessions. While the sessions with other founders will be accommodated to fit the majority of the participants, you will schedule your individual mentoring sessions with your mentor.
This hybrid program includes two mandatory in-person components, each spanning two to three days, and requires the attendance of at least one co-founder at these sessions.
While the program content primarily targets founders, we are flexible and can discuss the participation of C-level team members in select online sessions. Don't hesitate to reach out with your questions.
No, Google for Startups neither invests in companies through this program nor requests any equity.