Komdigi backs Google Cloud's Southeast Asia-Silicon Valley AI startup corridor

Google Cloud has launched a new regional initiative designed to help Southeast Asian AI startups scale internationally, with Indonesia’s ministry of communication and digital affairs (Komdigi) playing a central role in supporting the growth of the country’s emerging AI ecosystem.

The programme, called Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia, was unveiled alongside expanded collaborations between Google Cloud, Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), Vietnam’s national innovation centre (NIC), and the startup and innovation hub of Ho Chi Minh City (SIHUB). Together, the organisations aim to establish an AI startup innovation corridor across Southeast Asia and into Silicon Valley.

The initiative seeks to help startups move beyond product-market fit and accelerate commercialisation of proprietary agentic AI products through a combination of technical mentorship, cloud infrastructure, market access and investor connections.

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For Indonesia, the partnership underscores the government’s broader ambitions to strengthen domestic AI capabilities and ensure the technology contributes to inclusive digital transformation.

“Strengthening the AI ecosystem is an important step in accelerating Indonesia’s inclusive and sustainable digital transformation. As one of Southeast Asia’s largest digital economies, Indonesia continues to encourage the development and adoption of AI solutions that create meaningful impact across key sectors, including education, food security, and healthcare,” said Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, director general of digital ecosystem at Komdigi.

“Through Google Cloud’s continued support in capacity building, providing access to frontier technology, and ecosystem development, more Indonesian founders are expected to build and scale digital innovations that deliver broader benefits to communities across the country.”

Applications have opened for the inaugural cohort of 25 startups, which will begin the three-month accelerator programme in August 2026. The initiative targets Seed to Series B AI startups from six Southeast Asian markets, with Komdigi providing tailored support for participating Indonesian companies.

The accelerator combines engineering support and go-to-market assistance from Google Cloud with access to major technology and investment hubs in Singapore and California. Participants will take part in a Silicon Valley residency programme featuring visits to Google’s campuses in Mountain View and San Francisco, alongside engagement with venture capital networks in Palo Alto and Sand Hill Road.

According to Google Cloud, the programme builds on previous startup initiatives that have supported more than 200 Southeast Asian startups since 2018. Collectively, these companies have raised US$6.6 billion in funding and created more than 11,300 jobs across the region.

Among the Indonesian startups that have previously participated in Google for Startups programmes are Kata.ai, Noice, Privy, Riliv and DayaTani.

Sami Kizilbash, head of developer ecosystems, Asia Pacific at Google Cloud, said founders often face significant challenges when transitioning from product-market fit to international expansion.

“We often hear from founders that the jump from product-market fit to international expansion is their hardest leap. This bespoke programme bridges that gap by providing direct access to best-in-class resources and global tech hubs to help them commercialise frontier AI at scale.”

The programme will provide startups with access to Google Cloud’s AI stack, including Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Agentic Data Cloud, the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and Google Antigravity. Eligible participants may also receive up to US$350,000 in cloud credits through the Google for Startups Cloud Programme.

In addition, startups will gain early access to experimental technologies and participate in technical boot camps hosted across the region, including at Indonesia’s Garuda Spark Innovation Hub. Google Cloud engineers and researchers from Google DeepMind will also provide product development guidance and architectural reviews.

Beyond technology support, the initiative is designed to help startups secure commercial opportunities through mentorship from teams across Android, Google Ads, Google Pay and Google Play, as well as introductions to venture capital firms, enterprise customers and strategic partners.

The programme will culminate in a Google-hosted demo day and startup summit in Singapore, where founders will have the opportunity to present their products to investors and potential enterprise clients.

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