Google

Choose the right programme

• An AI-first startup in India, between Seed and Series A: the Google for Startups Accelerator: India. It is closed for 2026, so register your interest for a future batch.
• An early to mid-stage Android app startup in India: Appscale. The page does not give a batch date, so check it before applying.
• A startup building on Google Cloud: the Google for Startups Cloud Program, which has no closing date stated.
• A founder who wants AI training: the Google for Startups School in India, an eight-week online course.
• A student in India: Fund My Crazy closed on 15 September 2026.

How applications work

• Gemini Startup Forum, Gemini Sprints and Immersion are all application-based.
• Choose a regional accelerator from the Find an accelerator section of Google's accelerator page, then follow its page for that region.
• For the Cloud Program, have a Google Cloud account and your Billing ID ready.
• Where a programme has no open batch, the India accelerator page invites founders to register their interest for future programmes.

How selection works

• Immersion's second phase is by invitation: Google invites the 25 selected startups from the first phase to the in-person session.

What reviewers look for

• Traction. The India accelerator and the global accelerators both look for traction, ideally between Seed and Series A.
• An AI focus. The India accelerator is for AI-first startups building core AI applications or agentic AI solutions. The Gemini Startup Forum asks for AI as a core pillar of growth.
• A public web presence. The Cloud Program asks for a publicly available company website and a company email domain that matches it.
• Founding date. Startups applying to the Cloud Program must have been founded within five years of applying, or within 10 years for Scale.

Google for Startups runs accelerators, a Google Cloud credits scheme, training and events for startups. Its India programmes are aimed at Indian startups and students, and its regional accelerators run as cohorts across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

How the programmes work

Most of Google's programmes run in batches or events with set dates, so each one's status changes over time. At the time of checking, the India accelerator for AI-first startups had closed for its 2026 batch, and the Fund My Crazy student competition had closed on its 15 September 2026 deadline. The Cloud Program is the one programme with no closing date stated.

The Google for Startups Accelerator: India is a three-month accelerator that runs as a mix of virtual and in-person sessions. Applications closed on April 19, 2026. The batch ran from June to September 2026, and graduation was in September 2026. Startups in the batch received dedicated mentoring from Google teams and product credits, and the programme is equity-free.

Google's regional accelerators are cohorts of 10 to 15 startups that come together to tackle specific technical challenges. Each accelerator gives training from Google experts in technical, product and leadership topics, and its support is equity-free for the duration. Each programme sets its own specific requirements. Appscale is a three-month, equity-free accelerator for Android apps, run in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Startup Hub, and it takes 20 to 25 startups.

The Cloud Program covers Google Cloud and Firebase costs over the first two years, and it gives access to product and technical support, dedicated mentors and industry experts. How much a startup receives depends on whether it is backed with equity funding and whether it is AI-first.

The shorter programmes and events run on their own schedules. The Google for Startups School in India is an eight-week online course covering AI, generative AI, product and technology strategy, marketing, fundraising and leadership. Google's global Startup School page says there are no Startup Schools available at the moment. Immersion is an intensive technical programme for founders building and scaling with AI, and its second phase brings 25 selected startups to an in-person session at a Google office. The Gemini Startup Forum is a two-day, in-person gathering. Gemini Sprints are full-day events in which startup teams build products with Gemini, held online and in person at select Google for Startups Campus spaces. None of Immersion, the Forum or the Sprints had an edition open when this page was checked.

Who can apply

The India accelerator is open to startups based or headquartered in India, ideally between Seed and Series A with traction, and building core AI applications or agentic AI solutions. Google's global accelerator pages describe their cohorts as serving top growth-stage startups, but the same pages ask for traction, ideally between Seed and Series A. Both statements appear on the page, and they are not reconciled there.

The Cloud Program asks for a Google Cloud account with a Billing ID, a publicly available company website, and a company email domain that matches the website. Startups must have been founded within five years of applying, or within 10 years for Scale.

Fund My Crazy is open to students currently enrolled in any college or university in India, in any discipline. Students can enter alone or in a team of up to three.

Startup School is designed for early-stage founders. Immersion is for founders building and scaling with AI. The Gemini Startup Forum is for Seed to Series A founders committed to integrating AI as a core pillar of their growth strategy. Gemini Sprints suit startup teams that want to build products with Gemini.

Scale

Google reports that startups from its alumni programmes have hired 126K employees since 2018. This is a self-reported figure, and the page gives no as-of date.

Who runs it

Google for Startups runs the programmes described here. The Gemini Startup Forum is presented by Google for Startups in partnership with Google DeepMind and Google Cloud. Appscale is run by Google in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Startup Hub. Fund My Crazy is presented as a Google Gemini initiative.

Locations

In India, the India accelerator, the India School, Appscale and Fund My Crazy are for startups or students based in the country. Google's regional accelerators cover the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Gemini Sprints are held at select Google for Startups Campus spaces around the globe, and the second phase of Immersion takes place at a Google office.