Google Appscale Academy Returns With MeitY To Help 100 Startups Achieve Scale

Google has announced the second edition of its Appscale Academy programme, Appscale Academy 2023, in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub, to help 100 Indian app-based startups achieve scale.

Appscale Academy 2023 is for early to growth-stage startups and it will help them build high-quality apps.

The programme builds on the success of last year’s Appscale Academy 2022, which saw apps across sectors adapt learnings to improve their UI, UX, security, user base, engagement rates and ratings. According to Google, nearly a third of all apps in last year’s cohort doubled their visitor and install base during the programme.

Appscale Academy 2023: More Details

The second edition will be a six-month programme through which startups will receive training on several aspects of building a successful app. These aspects include UX design, business model and modernisation strategies, international expansion best practices and data safety and security practices.

The selected startups will learn via virtual webinars, self-learning material and mentorship sessions with local and global industry leaders. A few startups will also get an opportunity to pitch to venture capitalists to secure funding.

The applications are open at the moment for early and growth-stage startups looking to improve their app’s quality and take key learnings away for future app development.

The programme will select a cohort of 100 startups and help them achieve scale via their apps. A panel of industry experts, members of the MeitY Startup Hub and Google will select the final 100 startups for the second cohort. Google and MeitY started accepting applications on December 14 and will do so till February 6, 2023.

In a media statement, Google and MeitY said that they would launch a multi-city roadshow to engage over 1,000 startups across emerging startup hubs such as Surat, Indore, Coimbatore, Gangtok and Jaipur. The move comes as nearly half of India’s startups come from Tier II and III cities.

Building On Last Year’s Success

Talking about the programme, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary of MeitY, said, “I’m delighted with the results of the first edition of Appscale Academy and look forward to seeing MeitY Startup Hub and Google come together again to fuel the growth of 100 new startups.”

Jeet Vijay, CEO of MeitY Startup Hub, added, “This year, we look forward to partnering with Google again to amp up our efforts towards this community and extend the benefits of the program to more creative app-preneurs from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities through our multi-city roadshow.”

Aditya Swamy, director of Play Partnerships, Google Play, said that it was a privilege for Google to enable the Indian startup ecosystem’s growth story.

“We are excited to continue our deep partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub to help many talented innovators turn their creative ideas into successful app businesses through Appscale Academy,” added Swamy.

From last year’s cohort, startups such as StashFin, Jar, Kuku FM and others have gone on to secure significant funding, with StashFin leading the charts as it raised $270 Mn midway through the programme in June 2022.