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

Google and Accel's joint AI accelerator for India-linked startups, called Atoms, reviewed over 4,000 applications and found roughly 70% were 'AI wrappers' — products that simply layer chatbots or AI features on existing software without reimagining workflows. None of those made the cut. The five selected startups span AI co-scientists for life sciences, autonomous ERP agents, voice AI for call centers, AI-generated film production, and industrial automation for automotive and aerospace. Selected startups receive up to $2M in funding from Accel and Google's AI Futures Fund, plus up to $350K in cloud and compute credits. Google's goal includes creating a feedback loop between startup experimentation and its DeepMind model development teams.