# Google for Startups

Google for Startups is a Private Equity based in Mountain View, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** Mountain View, United States
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Mountain View, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2011
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** startup.google.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/imancity

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Google for Startups connects founders with the right people, products, and best practices to help startups grow. The organization offers various programs, products, and resources to support startup communities worldwide. Google for Startups measures its success by the growth of startups within its program alumni community.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- ClimateTech
- Digital Health
- FinTech
- Mobility & Transportation

## Offices

- San Francisco, CA
- Warsaw, Poland
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Kyiv, Ukraine
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Munich, Germany

## People

- Agnieszka Hryniewicz-Bieniek — Global Director, Google for Startups
- Sundar Pichai — CEO, Google LLC

## Questions

### Does Google for Startups take equity in the companies it supports?

No. Google for Startups does not take equity, board seats, or intellectual property rights from portfolio companies in exchange for program participation. The platform provides grants, cloud credits, mentorship, and workspace access without diluting founders. This distinguishes it from Google's corporate venture arms, GV and CapitalG, which make traditional equity investments with return expectations.

### How is Google for Startups different from GV and CapitalG?

GV (formerly Google Ventures) and CapitalG are independent Alphabet investing arms that pursue venture and growth equity returns through direct equity stakes. Google for Startups operates outside the capital-markets structure entirely — it is a strategic platform within Google's product organization that provides non-dilutive support, workspace, and cloud resources. The three entities have separate teams, investment committees, and reporting lines.

### What is the Black Founders Fund, and how does it work?

The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund awards non-dilutive cash grants of up to $150,000 to Black-led startups, alongside Google Cloud credits, mentorship, and access to a peer community of alumni founders. The fund has deployed over $50M across regions including the United States, Brazil, and Africa since 2020. Recipients are selected through a competitive application process and receive hands-on support from Google engineers and product managers.

### Which regions does Google for Startups prioritize for its accelerator programs?

The platform runs region-specific accelerators in Southeast Asia, India, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. Campus locations provide physical programming hubs in Warsaw, Prague, Kyiv, Munich, and select additional cities. The group has increasingly directed resources toward underrepresented founder cohorts within these regions, including female founders in South Asia and climate-focused startups in Sub-Saharan Africa.

### How does Google for Startups source companies for its programs?

Companies apply through open calls on the platform's website and through partnerships with local startup ecosystem organizations, including Techstars, 500 Global, and government innovation agencies in key markets. Selection emphasizes product-market fit, technical alignment with Google's stack, and founder diversity. The group also runs referral networks through its 10,000-plus alumni base and Google developer-relations channels.

### Who runs investment decisions and program strategy at Google for Startups?

Agnieszka Hryniewicz-Bieniek serves as Global Director and leads program strategy, geographic expansion, and founder-fund allocation. She reports into Google's core product leadership rather than into Alphabet's corporate venture or finance organizations. Individual regional accelerator leads and campus directors report to her and manage local partner relationships and cohort selection.

## Related profiles

- [Goodyear Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/goodyear-ventures)
- [GOOSE Capital](https://altss.com/profile/goose-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-07-11T01:03:22.000Z

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