Google Cloud and Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) have launched the Google for Startups Accelerator Southeast Asia: Indonesia, AI-Focused programme.
Announced at Google Cloud Summit Jakarta 2025, the collaboration aims to nurture 100 high-growth, Indonesia-headquartered startups leveraging generative and agentic AI as core technologies over the next five years.
The initiative arrives as Indonesia accelerates its ambitions to become a regional hub for artificial intelligence innovation, aligning closely with the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 vision — a blueprint that places technology, especially AI, at the heart of equitable and sustainable national progress.
“This aligns with the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, where technology — especially AI — is expected to drive equitable and sustainable economic progress. With support from an entire ecosystem, young entrepreneurs in Indonesia can create future-forward solutions that gain international recognition,” said Meutya Hafid, Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs of Indonesia.
“Under Google’s Bangkit Bersama AI (Rise Together with AI) initiative, we’re therefore launching ‘Indonesia, AI-Focused’ in partnership with Komdigi, with the goal of cultivating 100 high-potential Indonesian AI startups over the next five years,” said Fanly Tanto, Country Director of Indonesia at Google Cloud.
Applications are now open for the inaugural cohort of 20 startups, who will embark on a three-month, equity-free accelerator programme starting September 2025.
Participants will receive up to US$350,000 in Google Cloud credits, exclusive access to Google Cloud’s integrated AI technology stack, and hands-on workshops at Komdigi’s Digital Innovation Hub.
The programme also offers mentorship from Google Cloud, Google Play, Android, and Google Ads experts, as well as guidance from local venture capitalists and startup ecosystem partners such as Alpha JWC Ventures, Dana Indonesia, and Monk’s Hill Ventures.
Startups will benefit from tailored technical support, leadership development and opportunities to showcase their AI-driven products to potential investors at a Demo Day hosted by Komdigi and Google Cloud.
Upon graduation, these founders will join a global alumni network of more than 1,500 startups, continuing to receive support as they scale their innovations.
Indonesian startups already make up more than a quarter of participants in regional Google for Startups Accelerator programmes, with alumni such as Gojek, Noice, Aruna, Sekolah.mu, and Kata.ai playing pivotal roles in the nation’s digital economy. Nearly 70 percent of Indonesian unicorns currently run on Google Cloud.
Google Cloud’s investment in Indonesia extends beyond startups. The company recently expanded its Jakarta cloud region to meet surging demand for enterprise-grade cloud and AI services, and launched “Indonesia BerdAIa,” an enterprise-focused initiative to help enterprises develop and deploy customised AI solutions across sectors such as banking, telecom, retail, education, and healthcare.
These efforts are complemented by large-scale AI workforce training, with more than 672,000 Indonesian developers having completed Google Cloud training labs. That figure is projected to reach 800,000 by the end of 2026.
Photo: Google
Entelechy Asia 