Google Cloud Launches Southeast Asia AI Accelerator, Offers Startups Up to $350,000
Google Cloud Launches Southeast Asia AI Accelerator, Offers Startups Up to $350,000
Google Cloud has launched a new regional accelerator program aimed at strengthening Southeast Asia’s artificial intelligence startup ecosystem by connecting emerging companies with technology and investment networks in California.
Announced on Monday, the “Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia” will support 25 AI startups across the region, with each selected company eligible to receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits over the course of the three-month program.
Applications for the accelerator are now open, with the first cohort scheduled to begin in August 2026.
The initiative is being launched in partnership with several Southeast Asian government agencies, including Enterprise Singapore, Indonesia Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, National Innovation Center, and Startup and Innovation Hub of Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Google Cloud, the program is designed to help AI startups move beyond early product development and expand into international markets. The accelerator targets seed-stage to Series B companies from six Southeast Asian countries.
Participating startups will gain early access to Google’s latest AI technologies, including the Gemini 3.5 models, alongside technical mentorship and specialized training in agentic coding, AI context engineering, and multi-agent systems.
Sami Kizilbash, Head of Developer Ecosystems for Asia Pacific at Google Cloud, said the program aims to address one of the region’s biggest startup challenges — bridging the gap between achieving product-market fit and scaling globally.
The accelerator will conclude with a startup summit and demo day in Singapore, where participating founders will present their technologies to investors, industry leaders, and regional partners.
Google said the initiative builds on the company’s growing startup support efforts in Southeast Asia. Since 2018, Google for Startups accelerator programs in the region have supported more than 200 startups, helping them collectively raise $6.6 billion in funding and create over 11,000 jobs.
The launch also reflects increasing competition among major technology firms to strengthen AI innovation ecosystems across Southeast Asia, a region seen as one of the fastest-growing digital economies in the world.
