Venture capital firm Accel and Google have unveiled the first cohort of startups under their Atoms AI accelerator programme. The initiative, launched in partnership with Google’s AI Futures Fund, aims to support early-stage AI innovation in India and beyond.
Five startups selected from 4,000 applications
The inaugural 2026 cohort includes five startups chosen from over 4,000 applicants. These companies are building solutions across enterprise AI, voice automation, entertainment, research, and industrial systems.
Funding and compute support for founders
Each selected startup will receive up to $2 million in co-investment from Accel and Google, along with up to $350,000 in compute credits. These credits cover access to Google Cloud, Gemini, and DeepMind tools.
Programme kicks off in Bengaluru
The accelerator began on March 11 in Bengaluru, focusing on helping founders scale AI-driven solutions globally. The cohort includes teams from India as well as international hubs like Singapore and Silicon Valley.
The initiative highlights India’s rising importance in AI innovation, supported by its large internet user base and increasing presence of global AI companies.
