This four-month initiative, now in its second year, targets startups working in sectors such as cybersecurity, transportation, education, and healthcare. 

Google is not offering equity-based investments here, instead, it’s providing hands-on mentorship, sales training, and access to its cloud tools, including some of its most advanced AI models. Most of the sessions will be virtual, but participants will later gather in person for a summit.

These companies had to meet tight selection criteria: evidence of market traction, at least six months of financial runway, and a product or service capable of making significant impact. Applications closed in mid-May following a highly competitive process.

Startups selected for this new cohort include:

1. Block Harbor, working on cybersecurity for automotive systems.
2. Attuned Intelligence, building AI-powered voice agents for call centres.
3. CloudRig, helping construction contractors manage production workflows with AI.
4. Mpathic, automating clinical trials and medical documentation.
5. StudyFetch, offering personalised learning tools to students and educators.
6. Omnia Fishing, which gives users personalised fishing advice based on data.
7. Making Space, matching disabled jobseekers with potential employers.
8. Tansy AI, helping users organise their medical records and appointments.
9. Waterplan, which lets companies track and respond to water-related risk.
10. Nimblemind.ai, making health data more usable and searchable.
11. Satlyt, a platform to process satellite data efficiently.
12. Tradeverifyd, which helps companies assess supply chain risk in global markets.
13. CircNova, using AI to understand RNA patterns for new therapeutics.
14. Otrafy, automating supply chain compliance and documentation.
15. Partsimony, helping companies build and manage their manufacturing supply chains.
16. Vetr Health, providing at-home veterinary care.
17. MedHaul, which connects hospitals with non-emergency transport options.

Among the programme’s earlier alumni is Cloverleaf AI, which secured a $2.8 million seed round after joining last year’s cohort. Another, Zordi, raised $20 million from Khlosa Ventures for its autonomous agtech solutions. These reveal Google’s reputation as an early identifier of high-impact startups in the AI space.

The Academy is just one of several efforts by the tech giant to shape the AI startup ecosystem. In May 2025, Google launched the AI Futures Fund, a rolling investment initiative supporting startups that are already building with DeepMind’s latest models—Gemini, Imagen, and Veo.

Startups funded under the Futures Fund receive equity investment, early access to the models, Google Cloud credits, and hands-on help from Google and DeepMind engineers. Some notable participants so far include:

• Toonsutra, a comic app that uses Gemini to translate webtoons across multiple languages.
• Viggle, an AI meme-generation platform powered by Gemini and Veo.
• Rooms, which allows users to create 3D spaces with interactive avatars.

This expansion into targeted funding aligns with Google’s broader AI education and inclusion strategy. At the UN Summit of the Future, CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund aimed at reducing what he called the “AI divide”, the growing disparity in access to AI knowledge and tools across countries. 

He said: “We believe AI should benefit everyone, everywhere, not just those in high-income economies.”

The $120 million fund works with NGOs and local partners to bring AI education to underserved communities, especially in countries with poor digital infrastructure or lacking policy frameworks to support tech growth.

Meanwhile, Google.org, Google’s charitable arm, has launched a $20 million Generative AI Accelerator that supports nonprofits using AI for public good. This includes funding for projects in climate resilience, healthcare access, and digital education.

These developments come as AI remains both a disruptive force and a promising tool. While the headlines usually focus on the risks, from deepfakes to disinformation, Google appears to be betting that the next breakthroughs will come from startups willing to solve practical, overlooked problems.

With its blend of funding, mentorship, and infrastructure support, Google is building a growing network of startups, and we see the company wants a hand in shaping how AI evolves far beyond Silicon Valley.

Unlike previous initiatives limited to either philanthropy or regional support, this programme is structured to support startups beyond funding.

We’re looking at a full-stack support model that includes early access to AI models like Gemini, Imagen, and Veo; technical assistance from Google DeepMind and Google Labs; Google Cloud credits; and in some cases, direct equity investment from Google.

Startups across different growth stages, whether at seed or scaling globally, can now apply to benefit from this hands-on support, starting 12 May.

What sets this apart is the deliberate involvement of Google’s core AI engineering, product, and commercial teams. Startups won’t just be customers or partners, they’ll be collaborators.

So far, a few names have already gained from this early-stage programme. Toonsutra, a digital comic platform in India, is using Gemini to translate content across the country’s complex language terrain.

Another, Viggle, a meme-making platform, has started testing video content creation using Gemini, Imagen and Veo. Rooms, a 3D interaction platform, is also part of the pilot group, experimenting with new content formats using Google’s tools.

Here’s how Google laid it out:

“Startups working with the AI Futures Fund will receive the following:

• Early access to select AI models from Google DeepMind: This includes some of our most advanced AI models like Gemini, Imagen for image generation and Veo for video generation.
• Collaboration with Google experts: Startups get hands-on support from researchers, engineers, product managers, designers and go-to-market specialists from Google DeepMind and Google Labs.
• Google Cloud credits and support: The program provides Cloud credits and dedicated technical support from our Cloud experts to help build, train and scale AI-powered products.
• Equity investment: Select startups get the opportunity to seek direct investment from Google to fuel growth and scale AI development.”

The launch of the AI Futures Fund is just one part of Google’s vision to shape AI’s growth through structured, high-impact partnerships.

It follows a string of high-value initiatives, including a $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund and two $20 million commitments: one to nonprofits working on generative AI and another to scientists and researchers tackling global problems with artificial intelligence.

Google is betting big on startups that are willing to build AI.

Startups interested in applying for the Google AI Futures Fund can begin the process now. The fund is open to companies in any region where Gemini is available.