Google Selects 4 Indian Startups For Launchpad Accelerator 5th Edition

Global tech giant Google has announced the list of startups that will be joining the fifth edition of the Launchpad Accelerator Programme, at the Google Developers Launchpad Space in San Francisco.

With this batch, a total of 30 Indian startups will have participated in the Launchpad Accelerator programme so far. The four Indian startups selected are: BabyChakra, m.paani, NIRAMAI, and Social Cops.

Launchpad Accelerator is Google’s six-month programme that includes an intensive two-week bootcamp in San Francisco and mentoring from 30+ teams across Google and experts from top technology companies and VCs in Silicon Valley and globally. Participants receive equity-free support, credits for Google products and media training, and continue to work closely with Google back in their home country.

Here Are Some More Details On The Startups Selected For Google Launchpad’s Fifth Edition

BabyChakra

Based out of Mumbai, Babychakra was founded in February 2015 by Harvard Business School alumni Naiyya Saggi (a former McKinsey consultant). It is an online community that provides information on conception, pregnancy, birth and early childhood for parents and parents-to-be. The startup is backed by investors such as Mumbai Angels, Patni Family Office, Satveer Singh Thakral from the Singapore Angel Network, Karan Maheshwari, Jatin Aneja, Kishor Ganji, Roopa Nath and Seattle-based VC fund RoundGlass Partners.

M.paani

Launched in 2014 by Akanksha Hazari, m.Paani is a marketing and data analytics startup that enables local retailers to attract customers with a mobile-based loyalty programme. It develops impact-focussed loyalty programmes that leverage mobile technology as a platform to provide key products and services to the local retailers and businesses, by connecting their spends with important loyalty points. It is based out of Mumbai and is backed by investors such as IDG Ventures, Blume Ventures, and Saha Fund.

NIRAMAI

Based out of Bengaluru, the startup was founded in 2016 by Dr. Geetha Manjunath and Nidhi Mathur. NIRAMAI stands for Non-Invasive Risk Assessment with Machine Learning. It is working on a non-invasive, radiation-free, painless and low-cost, cancer-screening solution.  It is backed by investors such as pi Ventures, Ankur Capital, Axilor Ventures, 500 Startups and Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal.

SocialCops

SocialCops aims to power decision making through better data sourced from the grassroots to solve problems facing humanity. It works in the public infrastructure, public health & education spaces with partners such as the Government of Karnataka, Digital Empowerment Foundation, and Hindustan Unilever. The startup has earlier raised the funding round from 500 Startups, Rajan Anandan (MD, Google India) and Manoj Menon (MD, Frost & Sullivan APAC).

The first batch of the Launchpad accelerator announced in December 2015 included Doormint, Frankly.me, Holachef, Justride, Murmur, Nestaway, and English Dost from India. The second batch saw the participation of Taskbob, MagicPin, Programming hub, ShareChat, Red Carpet, and PlaySimple Games from India. The third batch was announced in November 2016. Google selected Flyrobe, HashLearn, Rentomojo, KaptureCRM, Curofy, Happy adda Studios, and Playment. Earlier this year, in May 2017, six startups were selected which included EdGE Networks, Fastfilmz, Indialends, RailYatri, RecipeBook and SigTuple.

Prior to that, enterprise software company Oracle invited applications for the Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator Programme. In April 2017, Kishore Biyani-led Future Group launched the Future C&D (consumer and digital) Lab in Bengaluru. Earlier the same month, global tech giant Apple also opened the proposed App Accelerator in Bengaluru. Tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft Accelerator, Qualcomm, and Cisco have also launched accelerator programmes in India.

The fifth edition of Google launchpad accelerator will kick off from January 29, 2018.

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Update 1: 30 November 2017, 8:00 PM

We have updated information about Babychakra.