Google Opens Applications For AI/ML Startups For Launchpad Accelerator

Search giant Google has now opened applications for the third cohort of its Launchpad accelerator in India. The Google Launchpad Accelerator mentors early-stage startups on various aspects of their business, across the areas of technology, product strategy, marketing, UX/UI and leadership.

The company is looking for a startup that uses technology like AI/ML to solve systemic problems in India. The technology startup should have preferably at least raised seed funding and solving for India using advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Paul Ravindranath, program manager, Launchpad Accelerator India, said “The program theme Solve for India, focuses on mentoring startups that seek to address some of India’s most complex problems in the areas of healthcare, fintech, sustainability, among several others, using AI/ML technology.”

The cohort will receive mentorship and support from the best of Google in AI/ML, Cloud, UX, Android, Web, Product Strategy and Marketing. Startups will also receive Google Cloud Credits worth $20K to $100K each.

The Google Launchpad Accelerator India follows Google’s Solve For India roadshow in 2017. As part of Solve For India, 10 startups were shortlisted from across India for four days of one-on-one consults with experts and mentors from the industry with the aim of solving critical product and growth challenges.

The applications are now open till August 18, 2019. The batch will kick off with a 1 week bootcamp in mid-October, in Bengaluru.

The expectations and the opportunity for startups is high as the second cohort created a lot of buzz and successful startups have went on to raise external funds. In the last batch, mentee startups – spanning verticals across fintech, healthcare, sustainability and more were taken through intensive mentorship bootcamps delivered by Google and industry experts, spanning across the areas of technology, product strategy, marketing, UX/UI and leadership.

Some of the startups in the last cohort were Wysa, MultiBhashi, GenRobotics, etc.

Google has been expanding its horizons for services in India and has been finding ways to collaborate with the startups to push for the next generation of growth in the country. Recently, Google announced that under its Internet Saathi Programme, over 70K women across 260K villages in 18 states are using the power of the internet to drive positive change in their communities and have already benefited over 26 Mn women.

In terms of accelerator programmes by corporates, Google is among the TechStars’ of the world who are trying to amp up Indian startup ecosystem with mentorship and financial support.