Google and Accel have announced a dedicated US$2 million co investment initiative to support India’s next generation of AI first startups, marking a significant boost to the country’s early stage innovation landscape. The collaboration brings together Google’s AI Futures Fund and Accel’s Atoms programme with a shared ambition: to help founders in India build globally competitive AI companies from day one.

The initiative will select a cohort of early stage AI startups working across frontier technologies including multimodal models, agentic workflows, AI infrastructure, enterprise automation and domain specific generative AI applications. Selected founders will receive equity based funding from the combined pool, alongside substantial cloud credits through Google Cloud’s startup programme.

Beyond capital, the initiative aims to provide hands on support from global AI specialists, product leaders and venture partners. Entrepreneurs will gain access to technical mentorship from Google’s engineering teams, structured founder guidance through Accel’s Atoms mentors and opportunities to refine go to market strategies with experts across both ecosystems.

Speaking on the announcement, leaders from both organisations noted that India stands at a pivotal moment in its AI journey, with strong talent density, rising computational capacity and an expanding domestic market for AI powered solutions. The fund seeks to catalyse these advantages by giving founders the resources and credibility to scale globally.

The AI Futures Fund, established by Google earlier this year, focuses on accelerating startups building breakthrough AI technologies. Accel’s Atoms programme, which has supported dozens of high growth startups across India, offers a founder first model with no fees and personalised support.

Applications for the new cohort will open shortly, with the selection process prioritising teams demonstrating deep technical capability, early evidence of product market fit and the potential to create category defining AI companies. Shortlisted startups will participate in a structured programme that includes technical workshops, product reviews, GTM masterclasses and investor introductions.

By combining catalytic capital with global mentorship networks, the collaboration aims to position Indian AI innovators on the world stage at a time when demand for transformative AI solutions is surging across sectors. The initiative also reinforces India’s growing role as a hub for AI research, model development and enterprise scale deployment.

Further details on the application timeline and programme structure will be announced in the coming weeks.