In a groundbreaking collaboration announced in late 2025, Google’s AI Futures Fund and venture capital firm Accel have joined forces to identify and support the next wave of artificial intelligence-focused startups in India. For many, this represents more than an investment initiative; it’s a targeted leap toward empowering Indian tech founders to reshape the AI landscape globally. For me, as a female founder from the Netherlands with a background in multidisciplinary innovation and bootstrapping startups, this partnership stands out as a case study in harmonizing capital, technical expertise, and strategic mentorship.
Let’s unpack why this announcement is significant and what lessons European entrepreneurs, especially female founders, can take from it.
The Nuts and Bolts of the Partnership
Google and Accel, through their combined effort, will invest up to $2 million per early-stage AI startup through Accel’s Atoms program. The focus is on Indian and Indian-origin founders who are building AI products with both local relevance and global application. Selected startups in the program will benefit from:
- Capital Support: Each selected startup will receive up to $2 million, with both Google and Accel contributing equally.
- Access to Technology: Early access to cutting-edge AI models like Google’s Gemini and DeepMind APIs.
- Technical and Business Mentorship: Guidance from Google’s AI experts and Accel’s seasoned venture capital partners.
- Additional Perks: Generous compute credits for Google’s cloud services and international exposure to global tech ecosystems through immersion programs in hubs like Silicon Valley and London.
Accel’s Atoms initiative, which was launched in 2021, has already backed more than 40 companies, providing these startups with the tools to grow faster and more effectively. Adding Google’s heavyweight AI Futures Fund to the mix brings another layer of credibility and resources.
For founders in India, this opportunity is transformative. But European entrepreneurs, particularly women bootstrapping their way into industries like AI, can draw valuable lessons from this initiative.
Lessons Female Entrepreneurs in Europe Can Learn from This Model
1. Collaboration Amplifies Growth
Forming strategic partnerships is not just about funding, it’s about leveraging complementary strengths. Google brings technical expertise and cloud services, while Accel knows the intricacies of scaling startups. Entrepreneurs must also think creatively about partnerships. For example, instead of seeking funding only, focus on strategic alliances that help build your network and amplify resources.
When I launched my Fe/male Switch Startup Game, I partnered with tech professionals and educational leaders across Europe to create a game-based entrepreneur training platform. This collaboration enabled me to stretch limited resources while gaining insights from diverse experts.
2. Think Beyond Local Markets
Even though this Google/Accel initiative backs founders in India, the emphasis is on developing AI products that are globally competitive. This focus on scalability resonates particularly with European entrepreneurs. Often, geographical borders create a small market ceiling, but technology allows founders to leap over those boundaries and think bigger.
If you’re a founder in Europe, start analyzing how to position your product for global audiences early on. For instance, my earlier work in deeptech startups taught me the importance of tailoring solutions for universal challenges, like intellectual property rights in CAD software or AI-based tools for education.
3. Compute Is as Important as Cash
One standout aspect of the program is the allocation of significant cloud computing credits. For most startups, early-stage AI development quickly burns through computational resources. Often, we underestimate the value of this infrastructural support until it becomes a bottleneck. As a bootstrapped founder, my advice to others is to proactively account for these “hidden” costs of scaling technical solutions.
If direct access to compute credits isn’t available in your ecosystem, tap into free-tier offerings or nonprofit initiatives. For instance, Nvidia, AWS, and others have been known to provide start-ups affordable access to resources.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid as a European Startup Founder
1. Overlooking Niche Growth Opportunities
Indian startups, despite focusing on emerging markets, understand the importance of creating products that can scale globally. European founders frequently lean into high-income markets and forget underserved niches that can be equally lucrative.
2. Ignoring the Significance of Mentorship
The Indian accelerator or venture capital ecosystem integrates mentors into virtually every process. European founders, particularly women, often miss opportunities to find mentors who challenge their assumptions and keep them accountable. Programs like Accel’s Atoms offer structured mentorship that founders need in their early stages.
3. Prioritizing Product over Market Readiness
Many European first-time founders, including myself in earlier projects, fall into the trap of building without deeply validating market viability. Each opportunity, be it funding or mentorship, should first address whether your startup addresses broader market needs, even beyond borders. A prototype isn't everything; market access is.
A How-to Guide to Building Scalable AI Startups with Limited Resources
For AI-focused female founders in Europe looking to replicate some ideas from the Google/Accel initiative, here’s a practical set of steps:
Step 1: Leverage Non-Financial Resources
Look beyond capital. Invest time into networking with local AI hubs, universities, or training programs like AI4Europe or the European AI Fund.
Step 2: Position Yourself as Grant-Ready
Prepare a detailed project proposal to tap into European grants. During my work on Blockchain for CADChain, we secured multiple EU grants by showing not just innovation but economic and social impact potential.
Step 3: Balance Experimentation and Focus
AI startups need to experiment to find the right model for diverse markets. However, don’t spread resources across too many fronts, as a female solopreneur, this was a mistake I had to learn to fix early on.
Final Thoughts and What Comes Next
The Google and Accel team-up should inspire founders to see how collaborations can create focus and scale. For me, it is proof of the value that targeted programs bring to startup ecosystems, and a reminder to embrace the principles of mentorship, ecosystem leverage, and smart resource allocation.
For female founders, these models act as blueprints that can be replicated in Europe to create sector-specific programs, attract meaningful capital, and redefine success. Following models like this could empower Europe’s women-led ventures to become better equipped for both local and global expansions.
If you’re an entrepreneur or a founder, think about the long-term game. Success doesn't only come from funding; it often stems from building the right ecosystem around you.
FAQ
1. What is the focus of Google and Accel's partnership in India?
Google and Accel have partnered to invest up to $2 million per early-stage AI startup in India. The initiative supports Indian and Indian-origin founders who are developing AI products with both local relevance and global applicability. Read the announcement on TechCrunch
2. What support do selected AI startups receive?
Selected startups under the program receive up to $2 million in funding, early access to advanced AI models like Google’s Gemini, significant cloud computing credits, mentorship from experts, and exposure to global tech ecosystems. Learn more on TechCrunch
3. What is the Accel Atoms program?
Launched in 2021, Accel’s Atoms program focuses on early-stage startups, providing funding, mentorship, and scaling advantages. It has already supported over 40 companies. Explore Accel Atoms
4. Why is India being targeted for this AI initiative?
India is being targeted because of its large pool of engineering talent, the second-largest internet user base globally, and the rising potential of its startup and tech innovation ecosystem. Check out this analysis on Google and Accel's decision
5. Are startups required to use Google’s AI technology exclusively under this program?
No, the selected startups are not required to exclusively use Google’s technology or cloud services. Find more details in the Google blog post
6. What lessons can European entrepreneurs take from this initiative?
European entrepreneurs can learn about the importance of collaboration, global scaling, accessing technical resources, and the value of structured mentorship in building scalable businesses.
7. How does this initiative help overcome challenges, like computational costs, faced by AI startups?
Google provides substantial compute credits for its cloud services, such as Google Cloud, reducing the hidden costs of early-stage AI development.
8. What industries will this initiative focus on?
The program targets initiatives in creativity, productivity, entertainment, coding, and enterprise automation, with a focus on Indian startups building products for global markets. Explore The Financial Express's insights
9. What has been Google’s recent role in India’s AI ecosystem?
Google has been investing heavily in India, launching its AI Futures Fund earlier in 2025 and committing $15 billion for an AI data center and infrastructure. Learn more about Google's investment strategy
10. When does the 2026 AI cohort under the partnership begin?
The first cohort under the Google–Accel collaboration is set to commence in February 2026 through Accel Atoms’ program. Explore the details on Pulse 2.0
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
