Artificial Intelligence has moved from experimental labs to everyday life at lightning speed. Across industries, the narrative has shifted from hype to hard results—and nowhere is this transformation more evident than in India. The country has emerged as the world’s second-largest hub for Generative AI startups, with its ecosystem growing 3.7X in recent years. This momentum is not just about building companies; it’s about reimagining how AI can reshape economies, industries, and lives.
A notable case is Entri, an accelerator alumnus that integrated Google’s Gemini model and saw a 20% boost in user retention. Examples like this show how access to frontier technology translates into measurable business impact. But the true promise of AI lies in addressing structural challenges in healthcare, education, climate, and finance.
Recognizing this, Google has announced the 2025 cohort of its “Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First” program. From more than 1,600 applicants, just 20 startups were selected for the highly competitive three-month program. The equity-free initiative provides startups with access to Google Cloud and $350K worth of credits, Gemini-powered tools, deep-dive bootcamps, and both technical and business mentorship.
This year’s batch aligns closely with the priorities of the IndiaAI Mission, 45% of startups are working on Agentic AI, 30% on Multimodal AI, and 25% on Foundational and Responsible AI. These companies are tackling deep-rooted challenges rather than incremental improvements.
What is the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First?
Launched in 2024, the accelerator is designed for seed to Series A startups with AI at their core. It helps founders overcome early-stage hurdles in infrastructure, scaling, and go-to-market strategy, while also equipping them to deploy AI responsibly and at scale.
Startups receive mentorship from Google experts, hands-on access to Gemini AI, structured learning through in-person bootcamps, and exposure to global markets. The 2025 batch builds on the success of the first cohort announced in August 2024, with an even sharper focus on transformative, real-world AI solutions.
Meet the 20 Startups of the 2025 Cohort
- Adya AI (Mumbai) – Full-stack agentic AI platform enabling enterprises to rapidly design and scale AI agents.
- Aignosis (Jaipur) – Webcam-based autism screening tool for affordable, scalable healthcare diagnostics.
- AiSteth (Bengaluru) – AI-powered smart stethoscope for early detection of cardio-respiratory conditions.
- Apptile (Bellevue, USA) – Agentic developer platform for rapid native mobile app creation.
- Dview (Bengaluru) – AI-native data platform unifying datasets for real-time insights.
- Knit (Bengaluru) – Unified APIs for SaaS and agentic AI integration with enterprise systems.
- Mili AI (San Francisco, USA) – AI assistants for wealth management firms.
- Mysa (Bengaluru) – AI-powered financial OS managing bills, reimbursements, and accounting.
- MyWonder (Bengaluru) – Screen-free conversational learning device for children.
- ORBO AI (Mumbai) – AI tools for fashion and beauty, including virtual try-ons and product recommendations.
- Phot.AI (Bengaluru) – Automating creative workflows for e-commerce sellers and D2C brands.
- Protecto (San Jose, USA) – AI security platform preventing enterprise data leaks in GenAI systems.
- Pulse (Hyderabad) – AI-native feedback intelligence platform for customer insights.
- Resilience AI (Delhi) – Disaster risk intelligence solutions for climate resilience.
- Segmind (Santa Clara, USA) – Generative AI automation for visual media creation.
- Sortment (New York, USA) – AI agents for automated marketing campaigns and audience segmentation.
- Sparky AI (Bengaluru) – Voice-first AI learning companion for spoken English fluency.
- Superjoin (San Francisco, USA) – AI-powered spreadsheet assistant for workflow automation.
- Vaani AI (Bengaluru) – Voice AI infrastructure and foundational models for natural interactions.
- VideoSDK (San Francisco, USA) – APIs and SDKs enabling real-time video, audio, and AI-driven interactions.
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The Bigger Picture
The 2025 accelerator kicked off with a bootcamp at Google’s Bengaluru office, setting the tone for three months of intensive mentorship and product development.
With startups tackling systemic challenges across climate, healthcare, education, and finance, the program reinforces India’s role as a powerhouse of applied AI.
At its core, the AI First Accelerator is more than just a growth platform—it’s a way for startups to co-create the future of AI with Google, shaping global standards for scalability, responsibility, and impact.
