Do you take equity or fee to be a part of this program?

No, we do not take any equity or charge fee. The Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First programs are completely free of charge for all startups. All you need to contribute is your time and energy.

What is the format of the program?

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.

When will the program run?

Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First will run from July to October 2024. You can refer to the key dates section above for more information.

Who should apply for Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First?

Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First 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.

How will startups be chosen?

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.