Google, Accel India accelerator choses 5 startups and none are ‘AI wrappers’

Many artificial quality startup ideas are inactive small much than superficial “wrappers” built connected apical of existing models. But arsenic the AI exemplary makers adhd much features, investors are wary of startups that could go truthful easy unnecessary.

Case successful point: erstwhile reviewing much 4,000 applications for the associated AI accelerator for India startups tally by Google and task steadfast Accel, “wrapper” ideas dominated. But nary of them were among the 5 startups for the latest cohort, Accel spouse Prayank Swaroop told TechCrunch (pictured above).

Announced successful November, the AI-focused Atoms programme by Google and Accel aims to backmost early-stage startups gathering AI products linked to India. Startups selected for the latest cohort volition person up to $2 cardinal successful backing from Accel and Google’s AI Futures Fund, on with up to $350,000 successful unreality and AI compute credits from Google, the firms said.

Roughly 70% of the rejected applications were “wrappers” — startups that layered AI features specified arsenic chatbots connected apical of existing bundle but “were not reimagining caller workflows utilizing AI,” Swaroop said.

Many of the remaining applications that were denied, Swaroop said, fell into crowded categories specified arsenic selling automation and AI recruitment tools, areas wherever investors saw small novelty. Startups successful those sectors often conflict to differentiate themselves, helium said.

This isn’t, perhaps, surprising. This year’s programme received astir 4 times the applications than erstwhile Accel’s Atoms cohorts — with galore first-time founders.

India’s increasing AI ecosystem remains mostly focused connected endeavor applications and Swaroop said the applications reflected that. About 62% of the submissions focused connected productivity tools and different 13% connected bundle improvement and coding, meaning astir three-quarters of the applications were endeavor bundle ideas alternatively than user products. (Swaroop had hoped to spot much ideas for healthcare and education.)

Jonathan Silber, co-founder and manager of Google’s AI Futures Fund, said the 5 startups selected aligned intimately with areas wherever Google expects AI to spot deeper real-world adoption.

The programme does not necessitate startups to usage Google’s models exclusively, Silber said, noting that galore companies harvester aggregate models depending connected the workflow. The goal, helium said, is to stitchery feedback from startups connected however Google’s models execute successful real-world applications.

Insights from those startups tin past beryllium fed backmost to Google DeepMind teams to assistance amended aboriginal models, creating what Silber described arsenic a “flywheel” betwixt startup experimentation and AI development. “If a institution is utilizing an alternate model, that means Google has enactment to bash to physique the champion exemplary successful the market,” helium told TechCrunch.

This year’s startups selected are:

• K-Dense, which is gathering an AI “co-scientist” to accelerate probe successful fields specified arsenic beingness sciences and chemistry;
• Dodge.ai, which develops autonomous agents for endeavor ERP systems;
• Persistence Labs, which focuses connected dependable AI for telephone centre operations;
• Zingroll, which is gathering a level for AI-generated films and shows;
• Level Plane, which applies AI to concern automation successful automotive and aerospace manufacturing.