Google & MeitY Startup Hub shortlists 25 startups from Karnataka for Appscale Academy

MeitY Startup Hub, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Google has announced a cohort of 100 Indian early to mid-stage startups as it aims to help build high-quality global apps and games as part of the Appscale Academy.

In a statement, Appscale Academy said it is solving for some of India’s daily, critical, and unique needs through creative homegrown solutions. This comprises 25 emerging startups based in Karnataka across a diverse range of categories including live learning platform BitClass; helpful apps for farmers Farmyng Club and Sat2Farm; utility and healthcare app for women My Saheli; healthcare platforms Berry.care, OncoBuddy, and MediBuddy; learning platforms for kids Kutuki and ABC Song Rhymes Phonics Games; pregnancy and parenting platform iMumz; wellness platform AyuRythm; savings platforms Jar and multipl; safety platform SaveSoul, a cooking game Cooking Fest, and more.

During the program’s launch, Purnima Kochikar, Vice President, Play Partnerships, Google, said,

“Today, India is uniquely positioned to become a leading hub for global app innovation with tremendous opportunity for Indian startups across the country, regardless of size and location, to thrive in the global app ecosystem. We thank MeitY Startup Hub for their partnership and vision, and look forward to taking another step towards growing a diverse app ecosystem in India together. Welcome to the inaugural Appscale Academy class, a cohort of 100 promising app-preneurs who have inspired us by their creativity and audacity.”

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The cohort’s main sectors span education, health, finance, social, ecommerce, and gaming. It also includes startups supporting core communities in India through creative apps across agriculture, B2B, parenting, and more. Representing the talent diversity emerging among India’s startup and developer ecosystem, 35 percent of the cohort come from Tier II and Tier III cities, while 58 percent of the cohort have a woman in a leadership role.

Jeet Vijay, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub, said,

“Our mission with Appscale Academy is to empower early to mid-stage startups with the right knowledge and mentorship to drive app and game innovations for the world. Our cohort of 100 Indian startups are ensuring that a homegrown solution for many of our daily, critical, and unique needs is today just an app away. Congratulations to all the startups and thank you for being core drivers of India’s digital journey.”

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As part of the six month programme, 100 startups will be trained through a customised curriculum designed to help them drive high-quality apps for a global market, including sessions on UX design, business model and monetisation strategies, international expansion best practices, and data safety and security practices.

The startups will receive access to virtual instructor-led webinars, self-learning material, and mentorship sessions with leading local and global industry professionals. Select startups will also get an opportunity to pitch to leading venture capitalists.

According to a release by Google India, in 2021, time spent by users outside India on apps and games created by Indian companies grew by 150 percent compared to 2019 on Google Play, a sign of the potential and opportunity Indian startups and developers today have to drive app and game innovations for the world.

A growth and development program by MeitY Startup Hub and Google, Appscale Academy said it aims to identify and support promising Indian startups and help them grow into successful global businesses.

The 100 startups were chosen from over 400 applications following an in-depth selection process that took into account their creative ideas and innovation, product quality, product scalability, and talent diversity.