Google for Startups and Antler India launch Immersion in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Google for Startups and Antler India on Friday announced the launch of Google for Startups Immersion, a two-phase hybrid programme for founders, CTOs, and technical leads building AI-led companies in India. Google said applications are now open on the co-branded programme page and will close on May 22, 2026.

The programme is designed for startups that already have a live product and early traction, and want to strengthen how they build with AI. Google for Startups will lead the technical curriculum, and Antler India will lead the venture and business track.

"The Google for Startups Immersion is designed for founders who are already building and want to go deeper on implementation. We want to help strong technical teams work more closely with Google’s AI tools and infrastructure, while also giving them access to the business perspective they need to scale," Ragini Das, Head - Google for Startups, India.

Antler is a global early-stage venture capital firm and Antler India operates through its maiden $75 million India fund, managed by founding partners Rajiv Srivatsa and Nitin Sharma. The firm has invested in over 115 startups in India across AI, consumer technology, fintech, deeptech, health, and climate sectors, selected from a platform of over 25,000 founders. Antler has backed over 1,300 startups worldwide with an ambition to support more than 6,000 by 2030.

"India’s AI moment is finally here. We are now emerging as the world’s next exciting ecosystem to build for all layers of the AI stack. The talent is exceptional and the ambition is increasingly global. Through our Residency programmes, Antler has worked with founders from Day Zero, from validating an idea through to the first investment," Nitin Sharma, Partner, Antler India, said.