Overview
- Through Accel’s Atoms AI 2026 cohort, the partners will co-invest up to $2 million per startup, targeting founders in India and the Indian diaspora building AI-native products in areas such as entertainment, creativity, work and coding.
- Selected teams will receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud, Gemini and DeepMind credits, early access to models and APIs, mentorship from Google and Accel, and immersion sessions in London and the Bay Area.
- Google will take equity stakes and be a material presence on cap tables, while allowing startups to use competing models from providers like OpenAI or Anthropic.
- Company executives said the initiative plans to fund at least 10 startups, with applications open now, a deadline of January 26, 2026, and a three‑month program beginning in February.
- Google characterizes the effort as seeding innovation rather than a cloud sales or acquisition funnel, aligning with its broader India push that includes a planned $15 billion AI data center and hub.