Google and Accel Partner to Fuel India‘s AI Startup Ecosystem
BANGALORE, INDIA – November 8, 2025 – Google is joining forces with venture capital firm Accel to identify and invest in promising artificial intelligence startups in India, marking a important expansion of the tech giant’s commitment to the burgeoning Indian AI landscape. the collaboration leverages Accel’s Atoms platform, a pre-seed and seed program, to tap into early-stage founders and accelerate innovation within the country.
The partnership aims to discover the ”next wave of innovation in the AI space coming out of India,” according to Google’s Director of strategic Initiatives, Ravi Silber. Google will take equity stakes in startups funded through the program, becoming “a material presence” on their cap tables, though the size of those stakes relative to Accel’s investments remains undisclosed.
This move builds on Google’s existing investments in Indian startups, including webtoon platform Tone Sutra and social gaming platform STAN, as well as its backing of AI-focused companies like Replit and Harvey. Accel’s Atoms program, launched in 2021, has already supported over 40 companies that have collectively raised more than $300 million in follow-on funding and recently expanded to include Indian founders based internationally.
Silber emphasized that the partnership is not driven by a desire to acquire startups or secure new cloud customers.”We’re not a sales team, so we’re not specifically looking to sign up new cloud customers.That’s not our goal,” he told TechCrunch. While Google hopes to find opportunities for integration with its AI technology, including Gemini, the program will not require startups to exclusively use Google products. “Sometimes, Google’s technology is the best. Other times, you’ll see anthropic or OpenAI,” Silber stated.
The collaboration follows Accel’s recent partnership with Prosus to co-invest in Atoms X, further demonstrating the firm’s dedication to supporting early-stage Indian startups building solutions for a large-scale audience. This latest venture underscores the growing recognition of India as a key hub for AI growth and innovation.
