Hajra Naz
Google has formed a new partnership with Accel. The goal is to find and fund India’s earliest AI startups. This collaboration supports the Google AI Futures Fund. The fund started earlier this year to support global AI builders.
Funding Plan for Early AI Teams
Accel and Google will invest up to $2 million in each startup through Accel Atoms. Both partners will add up to $1 million each. The 2026 Atoms cohort will focus on founders in India and the Indian diaspora. These founders must build AI products from day one.
Prayank Swaroop from Accel shared the plan. He said the aim is to build AI products for billions in India. He also wants India-built products to reach global markets.
Why India Is a Key AI Market
India holds the second-largest internet and smartphone base after China. The country has strong engineering talent. It still lacks frontier model development. Work at the technical edge sits mostly in the U.S. and China right now.
Change has started. OpenAI and Anthropic have opened offices in India. Global investors are now making early bets in the region. A mobile-first population, growing cloud support, and low software costs can help India rise as a major AI market. This depends on turning talent and demand into original research and products.
Wide Investment Scope
Swaroop said the focus will cover creativity, entertainment, coding, and work. He said SaaS and related AI tools will play a key role. He added that support could even touch foundational model projects.
Accel and Google plan to study LLM growth over the next 12–24 months. They will look for Indian startups building in those directions.
Support and Resources for Founders
Founders will receive up to $350,000 in compute credits across Google Cloud, Gemini, and DeepMind. They also get early access to Gemini and DeepMind models, APIs, and experimental features.
The program includes help from Google Labs and DeepMind teams. It offers co-development options. It offers monthly mentorship from Accel and Google technical leads. It includes sessions in London and the Bay Area, including Google I/O.
Founders also get marketing support through Google and Accel channels. They gain access to the Atoms founder network and Google’s AI builder ecosystem.
Google’s View on India’s AI Growth
Jonathan Silber from the Google AI Futures Fund said India has a long history of innovation. He said Indian founders will shape the next wave of global AI technology. He said this is the first collaboration of its kind for the fund. He added that Google chose India with purpose due to its long partnership with the country’s digital growth.
Google’s Larger India Commitments
This partnership follows Google’s $15 billion plan to build a 1-gigawatt data center and AI hub in India. Google also launched a $10 billion digitization fund in 2020. It backed Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Flipkart. Google recently worked with Reliance to give millions of Jio users free AI Pro access.
Google AI Futures Fund Activity
Google launched the fund in May to invest in global AI startups. It has backed Replit and Harvey. It has also funded Indian startups like Toonsutra and STAN.
Silber said Google will appear on the cap tables of startups funded in this partnership. Google will hold a meaningful position. He did not confirm how equity compares with Accel’s share.
No Product Lock-In for Startups
Founders do not need to use Gemini or any other Google tool. Silber said Google fits some cases.
Anthropic or OpenAI may fit others. There will be no restrictions on model choice. He said they will try to find unique integrations built with Google AI technology.
Accel Atoms Background
Accel launched Atoms in 2021. It focuses on pre-seed and seed-level startups. The program has backed over 40 companies. Those companies raised more than $300 million in follow-on funding.
Atoms expanded this year to support Indian-origin founders overseas.
More Moves in India’s AI Space
This new Google-Accel collaboration arrived days after Accel’s partnership with Prosus for Atoms X. Atoms X supports early-stage founders building large-scale products for India.
Silber said the Google partnership is not designed as a step toward future acquisitions or cloud sales. He said they are not trying to sign new cloud clients. Their main aim is to help spark India’s next wave of AI growth.
FAQs
1. Why did Google form this partnership in India?
India offers a huge digital population, strong engineering talent, and rising AI demand, making it a prime location for early-stage AI growth.
2. How much funding does each startup get?
Each startup can receive up to $2 million, with Google and Accel each adding up to $1 million.
3. Are founders required to use Gemini or Google Cloud?
No. Founders can use any model, including OpenAI or Anthropic. There are no restrictions.
4. What support comes with the funding?
Founders receive compute credits, mentorship, model access, technical guidance, global exposure, and marketing support.
5. When will the program begin?
The new Atoms cohort will run in 2026 and will focus on Indian and Indian-origin AI founders.
