Google launches startup accelerator to help startups develop mobile products

According to foreign media VentureBeat, Google has joined Y Combinator, 500 Startups and Techstars to set up a startup accelerator. The program is based on Google's Launchpad project and aims to provide mentor guidance, training and support to mobile startups in India, Brazil and Indonesia to help them accelerate product development. The project is called Launchpad Accelerator and is aimed at startups in India, Brazil and Indonesia.

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Roy Glasberg, global director of Google's Launchpad program, told VentureBeat that the three countries have huge market potential. Google's team has already selected the first batch of startups to participate in the Launchpad Accelerator program.

Google has two goals for this project: to help startups develop products and succeed on its platform, and to ensure that every startup has access to the best resources in the ecosystem. Participating startups will receive $250,000 in funding, including $50,000 in equity-free seed funding. They will also have access to Google products, office space in their country, two weeks of training in Mountain View, California, and six months of mentorship.

Regarding mentoring support, it is worth mentioning that Google will bring industry experts to those startups - they are not necessarily Google's own employees.

The Launchpad Accelerator will kick off on January 18, bringing up to 24 startups to Google's headquarters.

What exactly does the program involve? Startups will first fly to Mountain View for a two-week boot camp. There, they will meet mentors from inside and outside Google. Glasberg calls this a "stressful environment" where the program team will help these startups plan their development for the next five and a half months. Startups will need to perform a series of personalized tasks to improve their market strategy, user experience design, and other aspects of their services.

Upon returning home, they will receive office space, guidance from mentors from Google's local and global network, and access to Google's developer platform.

So which companies are eligible to participate in Launchpad Accelerator? On the one hand, their users must mostly be domestic users and their products must be very attractive. They also need to have a great influence in the local market. Launchpad Accelerator does not limit the industry field they are in.

So how does the program differ from other startup programs like Google for Entrepreneurs, Microsoft BizSpark, and Amazon Launchpad? Glasberg explained that Google is more focused on products that are already in development. "Our vision is third-party products, the apps that developers are working on. Other companies will come in and adopt specific products, but Google doesn't do that. We work with startups."

He added that some startup accelerators are very localized, emphasizing providing startups with support from nearby areas, while Launchpad Accelerator aims to give startups the most comprehensive resources that are not restricted by geographical location.

So what benefits can Google bring to helping startups? On the one hand, the move will help continue to grow its ecosystem. The project will also help build user trust in Google's mobile products. Glassberg said that Google will also get some feedback on its products from participating startups and get more insights on how to improve its products in the future.