Two Indian startups, MetaShop and Fundamento, received a substantial package of $100,000 each in funding, mentorship, and product support as part of the Women Founders Fund, a programme by Google designed to support and empower female entrepreneurs leading AI-based startups in the Asia-Pacific region.
MetaShop is a startup that specialises in 3D content creation for e-commerce, gaming, real estate, and more, while Fundamento develops AI solutions that address real-world challenges, particularly in the financial services and travel sector.
While the internal selection announcements were completed in late October, both startups were officially facilitated at a Google for Startups event in Bangalore on November 30.
The Women Founders Fund has stringent criteria for selection, including having at least one
full-time female entrepreneur among the founding members, fluency in English for participating female entrepreneurs, headquarters in India, Japan, or Korea, and receiving Series A investment from Seed. Moreover, the chosen startups must demonstrate an advanced and technically feasible use of artificial intelligence, signaling readiness for global expansion.
This year, MetaShop and Fundamento stand alongside startups from Korea, and Japan, recognised for their innovative use of AI and the promising trajectory of its business.
Mike Kim, Head of Google for Startups APAC, expressed his support, stating, "I'm happy to support the Women Founders Fund to startups that are creating innovation with
AI technology. I hope that we can act as a stepping stone for these startups to expand globally. We will continue to support women founders in their growth and development."
MetaShop said in a statement that the next step for the startup would be to establish a comprehensive solution for all 3D content creation needs. From Video-to-3D to Text-to-3D, MetaShop envisions a seamless and AI-driven process.
Sophiya Jagannathan, co-founder and CEO, MetaShop, envisions a future where digital experiences are inherently three-dimensional. "I strongly believe that in the coming decade, everything you see digitally will be three-dimensional," she said.
Fundamento, on the other hand, said that it will use the funding to accelerate its mission and drive further innovation to develop a world-class product.
Megha Aggarwal, co-founder of Fundamento expressed her excitement, “We are incredibly honoured to have received this recognition from Google. It's a significant milestone for Fundamento, but it’s only the beginning. We’ve got a lot of work cut out for us, and this award will further fuel our mission to harness the power of AI to revolutionise how companies think about customer support.”
Google for Startups is also said to host a Founders Academy for female entrepreneurs in the first half of 2024, offering workshops and mentoring opportunities to enhance leadership and talent management skills for startup entrepreneurs.
First Published: Dec 7, 2023 7:39 PM IST
