Google and Accel to Co-Fund Early-Stage Indian AI Startups
Alphabet’s Google and venture capital firm Accel have announced a new partnership to fund at least 10 early-stage artificial intelligence startups in India, marking Google’s first such joint investment initiative. The collaboration comes amid growing interest in India from major U.S. tech companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and OpenAI, as the country’s vast internet user base becomes a key driver of global tech growth.
Under the programme, Google’s AI Futures Fund and Accel will co-invest up to $2 million in each selected startup, with a focus on entertainment, creativity, workplace productivity, and coding technologies. This move follows Google’s earlier announcement of a $15 billion investment to build a major AI data centre in Andhra Pradesh, its largest commitment in India to date. The AI Futures Fund has already supported more than 30 startups worldwide, including India’s Toonsutra and U.S. law-tech company Harvey, and has partnered with Reliance Jio to provide free Gemini AI access to over 505 million users.
Google executives said they believe Indian founders will play a major role in shaping the global tech landscape in the coming years, emphasizing the importance of early-stage investments. India’s AI sector is forecast to reach $17 billion by 2027, while global AI spending is expected to surpass $2 trillion by 2026, highlighting the rapid expansion of the industry.
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