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Accel, an Indian venture capital entity, has disclosed the selection of eight fledgling startups in India for its latest accelerator initiative, known as ‘Atoms’. Under this program, startups stand to receive funding up to $500,000 alongside access to benefits exceeding $5 million from Accel’s network affiliates.
Moreover, participants will benefit from tailored mentorship and the prospect of collaborating with a community comprising founders from prior cohorts and portfolio ventures.
This cohort marks the third installment of Accel’s accelerator endeavor, Atoms 3.0. Unlike its predecessor, Atoms 3.0 adopts a thematic approach, concentrating on AI and Industry 5.0. Prayank Swaroop and Barath Shankar Subramanian, Accel partners, spearhead the domains of AI and Industry 5.0, respectively.
Accel’s recent statement reveals that the 24 startups from the prior Atoms cohorts have collectively secured over $200 million in funding since the program’s inception. Prayank Swaroop, a Partner at Accel, emphasized the program’s success, citing the growth witnessed by each startup post-enrollment.
The current Atoms 3.0 cohort features a blend of four AI startups, namely Tune AI, Skoob, Meritic, and Arivihan, along with two Industry 5.0 ventures, Spintly and Assets, with the remaining two operating in stealth mode. Swaroop highlighted the program’s thematic shift, enabling more focused mentorship for startups while maintaining a small cohort size to cater to the needs of exceptional founders.
Barath Shankar Subramanian, a Partner at Accel, spoke about the zero-to-one journey for entrepreneurs, highlighting its role in shaping businesses. He stated that the mission of the Atoms program is to equip founders with the necessary tools and insights from domain experts, ensuring they make informed decisions critical to their success. Subramanian noted that the program’s structured meetings have facilitated startups in onboarding new clients.
Accel has arranged over 100 learning sessions led by industry experts from renowned companies such as Google, AssemblyAI, and Langchain, facilitating mentorship connections and community gatherings across the Atoms cohorts.
Subramanian reiterated Accel’s plan to identify the next wave of disruptors in AI and Industry 5.0, stressing the importance of cultivating the right mindset for navigating the rapidly evolving AI innovation landscape. He underlined the Atoms 3.0 journey, spanning six months, as instrumental in providing founders with insights into crucial early-stage areas such as recruitment, acquiring initial customers, and refining pitches for potential investors.
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