Google just opened applications for a major AI startup accelerator targeting India's booming tech ecosystem. The tech giant's AI Futures Fund is partnering with venture firm Accel Atoms to launch a cohort program offering pre-seed startups exclusive access to Google DeepMind models, cloud credits, and direct investment opportunities starting February 2026.
Google is making its biggest bet yet on India's AI startup scene. The company just announced a partnership with Accel to launch an accelerator program that could reshape how AI companies get built in the world's most populous nation.
The timing couldn't be more strategic. India's tech ecosystem has been hungry for AI infrastructure support, and Google is positioning itself as the go-to partner for the next generation of Indian AI founders. Through the Accel Atoms x AI Futures Fund, selected startups will get something most early-stage companies can only dream of - direct access to Google DeepMind's most advanced models.
We're talking about early usage rights to Gemini, Imagen, and Veo - the same AI models powering Google's own products. For cash-strapped pre-seed startups, this kind of access typically costs thousands of dollars monthly through API calls. Now they're getting it as part of the program package, along with dedicated Google Cloud credits and technical support to help them scale.
But here's where it gets interesting for founders: this isn't just about free compute. Both Google and Accel are offering direct equity investment opportunities to standout companies in the cohort. That means startups could potentially land funding from two of the most influential players in tech and venture capital without the usual months-long fundraising grind.
The program structure reveals how seriously Google is taking India's AI potential. Selected founders get hands-on mentorship from engineering, product, and go-to-market specialists at both companies. This isn't your typical accelerator where you get a few hours of office hours - participants are getting embedded support from teams that have built and scaled AI products to billions of users.
India's AI startup landscape has been heating up dramatically over the past 18 months. Local companies like Sarvam AI and Krutrim have raised significant rounds, while international investors are increasingly viewing India as the next major AI innovation hub after the US and China. Google's move signals the company wants to get ahead of that trend by backing the ecosystem early.
