Accel launches Atoms AI & Atoms X, pledges up to $1M to back Indian-origin founders

Accel has announced the expansion of its pre-seed scaling programme with the launch of two

two tracks--Accel Atoms AI and Accel Atoms X. The initiative is primarily designed to support Indian and Indian-origin founders worldwide.

Under Accel Atoms AI, selected firms will receive up to $1 million in funding, in addition to over $5 million worth of perks from Accel’s network partners and personalised mentorship, it said in a statement. 

The AI track will be led by Partners Prayank Swaroop, Anand Daniel, and Anagh Prasad, targeting founders building across the AI stack, such as foundational models (small language models on the edge, video/robotics data) to infrastructure (testing tools, securing LLM systems) and applications (core AI models and agents).

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift where Indian founders in AI are moving to global markets earlier than ever before, to be closer to their first customers. These founders understand that while AI is borderless, execution isn’t,” said Prayank Swaroop, Partner at Accel. 

“They’re building from day zero with global ambition, but they need the right support system to navigate cross-border complexities. That’s what we’re providing through Accel Atoms--the ability to build and iterate with the backing of capital, mentorship, and infrastructure without being constrained by geography,” he added. 

The Accel Atoms X track, led by Pratik Agarwal, focuses on LeapTech, which includes companies building novel products or business models that require long development cycles and non-linear thinking to enhance human experiences. 

The company added that participating startups can access up to $1 million in equity or convertible notes, access to R&D networks, narrative and commercialisation workshops, and a peer community of founders.

"Indian and Indian-origin founders are right at the center of the inflection point in AI. The success of companies like Ema and Bridgetown Research shows us that founders tapping into the cross-border advantage - building what customers want, with great speed, and while tapping into the breadth and depth of India’s talent pool - can beat global competition by a significant margin,” said Anand Daniel, Partner at Accel. 

The VC firm has backed startups such as Posha, Sarla Aviation, Wiom, and Haber. 

“LeapTech ideas often take years of iteration before product-market fit is clear—but their ability to fundamentally reshape how we live or build is unmistakable. With Atoms X, we’re moving beyond the traditional cohort model to back founders right at the inception whether they're still refining the idea or pre-revenue. Our goal is to offer early conviction and a deeply supportive ecosystem from day zero," said Pratik Agarwal, Partner at Accel.

Since its launch in 2021, Accel Atoms has backed over 40 early-stage startups across sectors, many of which have since raised significant follow-on funding and become category leaders, such as Flipkart, Myntra, and Freshworks. It also closed its eight India-focused fund at $650 million in January.