Selected from over 4,000 applications, the startups will receive funding, mentorship, and advanced AI infrastructure support, highlighting growing investor focus on early-stage innovation across enterprise AI, automation, and industrial applications.
Accel and the Google AI Futures Fund have announced the five startups selected for the 2026 Atoms AI Cohort, an early-stage accelerator programme aimed at supporting AI-driven innovation. The announcement was made on March 16, with a strong focus on enabling founders to scale cutting-edge solutions.
The selected startups—K-Dense, Dodge.ai, Persistence Labs, Zingroll, and LevelPlane—were chosen from a pool of more than 4,000 applicants. Each startup will receive co-investment of up to $2 million, jointly funded by Accel and the AI Futures Fund. In addition, participants will gain access to up to $350,000 in compute credits across Google Cloud, Gemini, and Google DeepMind.
“Atoms has always been about backing founders at the earliest moment of possibility, when it's just ambition and insight,” said Prayank Swaroop and Shekhar Kirani, partners at Accel. “Chosen from over 4,000 applicants, this cohort — building across enterprise AI, voice automation, and industrial manufacturing — represents exactly the kind of bold, original thinking we back.”
Diverse AI innovations across sectors
The selected startups are working across a wide range of sectors. K-Dense is developing an AI “co-scientist” to assist researchers in solving complex problems across life sciences, physics, and chemistry. Dodge.ai, a San Francisco-based company, is building autonomous AI agents to modernize enterprise ERP systems, particularly in SAP environments.
Persistence Labs is focused on voice AI solutions for call centres, targeting real-time customer support automation. Zingroll is creating an AI-driven entertainment platform that generates movies and shows, while LevelPlane is working on automating manufacturing processes in industries such as automotive and aerospace.
Strengthening early-stage AI ecosystem
“We are entering a phase where AI is moving from a novelty to a core piece of industrial and scientific infrastructure,” said Jonathan Silber, co-founder and director of the Google AI Futures Fund. “By providing these startups with early access to our most advanced models and compute power, we're helping them solve hard problems faster and more responsibly.”
Accel noted that its Atoms programme has supported over 45 startups so far, which have collectively raised more than $300 million in follow-on funding. The firm has previously backed leading companies such as Flipkart, Freshworks, Swiggy, Urban Company, and Zetwerk, reinforcing its track record in nurturing high-growth ventures.
