Google for Startups

Fandrum is a pioneering fan-tech platform based in India that aims to transform casual viewers into dedicated superfans. The platform focuses on recognizing and rewarding users for their contributions in promoting shows and celebrities. By utilizing psychographic analysis, Fandrum creates communities where fans with shared interests can connect and engage. Users can participate in discussions about their favorite content through various formats, including images, memes, GIFs, and short-form content. This innovative approach fosters a deeper connection among fans, enhancing their overall experience and engagement with the entertainment they love.

Rooter is India's leading game streaming and esports content platform, launched in 2016 by Piyush Kumar and Dipesh Agarwal. The platform serves a vast community of over 450 million gaming enthusiasts, boasting nearly 70 million downloads and approximately 18 million monthly active users. With 1.7 million daily active users who engage for over 28 minutes daily, Rooter facilitates a vibrant ecosystem supported by more than 15,000 professional streamers and over a million content creators each month. The platform uniquely monetizes its offerings, achieving an annual recurring revenue of $7 million. Rooter also provides extensive live esports content, delivering over 8,200 hours annually through collaborations with major esports tournament organizers and partnerships with top esports teams and popular streamers. Originally focused on building a sports fan community, Rooter pivoted to game streaming and esports amid changing content consumption trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is backed by a prominent investor base, including March Capital and PayTM, among others.

Noice is a local audio platform that offers a diverse range of content, including radio, music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Founded in June 2018 as part of the Mahaka Media Group, Noice operates radio stations in Indonesia, specifically targeting geographic segments in Jakarta and Surabaya. The platform facilitates access to informational podcasts and radio shows, allowing users to engage with various audio content while also providing opportunities for content creators to produce and share their own work online. Through its focus on audio, Noice aims to enhance the listening experience and broaden the availability of informative and entertaining content for its users.

Bookings Africa, online marketplace for creatives Across Africa. First digital platform in Africa where clients and creatives connect and payment is completed online securely on our platform. BookingsAfrica.com is the largest online freelance marketplace to simply source, compare and book the creatives needed for the media and entertainment industry across Africa. Founded in 2018, Bookings Africa’s mission is to reduce the rate of unemployment in Africa and encourage creativity amongst African youths. Bookings Africa uniquely leverages technology to economically empower millions of people around Africa to unlock and monetize their creative passions and talents to become freelance entrepreneurs. Through our African based marketplace, clients can hire creative freelancers to provide services in creative fields such as models, makeup artists, photographers, voice over artists, hair stylists, clothing stylists through to the locations needed to bring any production to life. Bookings Africa’s people-to-people platform benefits all its stakeholders, including the service providers, clients, employees and the media communities in which it operates.

Ocala Gazette is a newspaper and news service company that provides weekly printed newspapers, appearing each Friday, and online daily news. They provide news on community, arts, entertainment, education, government, politics, business, opinion, photos, and sports.

Palan, Inc. provides palanAR, a no code AR creation platform that enables anyone to create their own AR. The service is used across education, tourism, entertainment and event industries and has 9,000 users with a total of 25,000 ARs created.

Beatmatch is the social app and members club transforming the way music lovers find friends and things to do based on music tastes. Beatmatch shows you compatible music lovers In your area based on your listening activity on Spotify and Apple Music. You can plan your IRL meetups by browsing recommended concerts, parties, and music festivals, discover who else wants to go, and buy tickets in-app.

Productions.com is a digital talent marketplace focused on enhancing employment opportunities within the film and television industries. The platform allows users to create detailed profiles, enabling production companies and studios to source and filter local talent based on their specific needs. This service aims to level the playing field by promoting diversity and inclusivity, particularly for women and professionals of color, who are often underrepresented in the industry. By providing a streamlined process for connecting qualified candidates with job opportunities, Productions.com supports professionals from various backgrounds and experience levels in their pursuit of career advancement in the film sector.

Lingopie Inc. operates an innovative language learning platform that uniquely combines television shows and movies with language acquisition technology. Founded in 2018 and based in Tel Aviv, Israel, Lingopie offers users access to thousands of hours of foreign content, enabling them to learn languages in an engaging manner. The platform features episodes displayed with native subtitles, allowing learners to click on foreign words for instant translations, which are then stored in a personal word bank for review through a flashcard game and other interactive tools. This approach leverages natural-language processing and linguistic research to create an immersive learning experience, making language acquisition intuitive and enjoyable for users.

Bolo Live is a live streaming platform based in Gurgaon, India, that enables users to broadcast their daily activities and engage in various topics, including life, relationships, and technology. Founded in 2019 as Bolo Indya and rebranded in 2021, the platform allows content creators to monetize their streams through virtual gifting, facilitating financial independence for its users. Bolo Live supports content creators in managing their digital presence and encourages interaction among individuals with shared interests. The platform not only fosters community engagement but also enables users to convert virtual gifts into real cash, enhancing the overall user experience.

Playbrush GmbH, founded in 2014 and based in Vienna, Austria, develops innovative smart devices that enhance the tooth brushing experience for children. The company’s flagship product is a colorful smart toothbrush attachment that transforms any manual toothbrush into a gaming controller. This device allows users to control interactive mobile games through their brushing movements, making oral hygiene routines engaging and enjoyable. Playbrush incorporates personalized feedback, statistics, and rewards to promote effective brushing habits. In addition to the attachment, the company offers a suite of games, a data monitoring application for parents, and regular supplies of toothbrushes and toothpaste. Playbrush products are available online and through various retailers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and other international markets.

Develooper of sports applications designed for the sports betting community. The company provides betting entertainment software available on the Android and iOS platforms, allowing bettors to actively socialize, engage, and stay informed on all things sports betting.

BingeWave is an exciting and newer VOD service that better allows content creators to market and have more control over monetization of their projects through subscription based packages and advertising fees (Content creators, you decide the prices!). The mission of the company is to specialize in showcasing content created by and focused on underrepresented and misrepresented groups, therefore the content is more accurate and depictive in its representation.

Inflight VR Software GmbH, founded in 2014 and based in Munich, Germany, specializes in developing virtual reality ecosystems tailored for the inflight entertainment sector. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines are actively seeking innovative revenue streams to enhance passenger satisfaction. The Inflight VR entertainment system enables airlines to monetize their services through pay-per-view, advertising, and e-commerce, while providing an immersive experience that captures passengers' attention. The technology has been successfully implemented by prominent clients such as Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, demonstrating strong demand within the travel industry. It boasts impressive engagement metrics, with passengers averaging over 80 minutes of usage and a satisfaction rate exceeding 90%. Each passenger utilizing Inflight VR contributes a revenue potential of more than €7, highlighting its effectiveness in addressing the evolving needs of the airline industry.

Deplike is a company focused on revolutionizing music learning and guitar sound customization through innovative mobile applications. They develop engaging music learning games that utilize artificial intelligence to create personalized and adaptive curriculums, making the learning process enjoyable and effective. Their flagship product, the Guitar Learning Game, offers a play-based experience where users can learn through their favorite songs, complemented by features such as 3D teachers and instant feedback. This approach fosters an immersive learning environment tailored to individual preferences and skill levels. In addition to educational games, Deplike provides a mobile application that allows guitarists to connect their instruments to smartphones, enabling them to customize sound effects and create music easily. As the company expands, it plans to introduce learning games for various instruments and develop a platform for schools and teachers to customize teaching paths effectively.

STAGE is an Indian language content platform for artist-led entertainment.

FanFest is the leading platform for membership and token-gated virtual experiences for fan communities used by the biggest names in entertainment that has already reached 25M+ fans in 100+ countries and generated $2M+ in value for our customers

Superplastic is a character-based product and entertainment company. It creates limited edition art toys, apparel, games, and animation based on characters created in collaboration with some of the greatest artists in the world. Superplastic is founded on the principle that effort and scarcity are intrinsic components of value. The company appropriates the tools of mass media and mass production to create limited edition works of art for a limited audience. It was established in 2017 and is based in Burlington, Vermont.

Tankee, Inc. is an Austin-based media company that specializes in creating a safe online gaming video platform for children aged six to twelve. Founded in 2017, Tankee aims to provide a secure environment for kids to access gaming content, featuring a wide array of videos from popular games such as Minecraft and ROBLOX. The platform offers a free entertainment app that allows parents to protect their children from inappropriate material while granting access to a curated library of over 500 hours of gaming videos, including more than 150 original pieces produced in collaboration with prominent gaming influencers. By focusing on age-appropriate content, Tankee seeks to enhance the digital entertainment experience for young gamers and their families.

Switchboard Live Inc. operates a live video streaming and syndication platform designed to connect brands and advertisers with targeted audiences across various online channels. Founded in 2014 and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the company facilitates the management of multiple live streams through a unified dashboard, allowing content creators to efficiently distribute live videos to social media platforms and web pages. Its offerings include the Producer solution, which tailors audience access based on budget and demographic targets, as well as Joicaster, a stream-sharing tool that consolidates live chats into a cohesive cross-platform experience. Serving a diverse range of sectors such as entertainment, government, gaming, and sports, Switchboard Live aims to enhance audience engagement and boost subscriptions for its clients. The company was previously known as Joicaster Inc. before rebranding in February 2016.

Productions.com is a digital talent marketplace focused on enhancing employment opportunities within the film and television industries. The platform allows users to create detailed profiles, enabling production companies and studios to source and filter local talent based on their specific needs. This service aims to level the playing field by promoting diversity and inclusivity, particularly for women and professionals of color, who are often underrepresented in the industry. By providing a streamlined process for connecting qualified candidates with job opportunities, Productions.com supports professionals from various backgrounds and experience levels in their pursuit of career advancement in the film sector.

Raxplay is a virtual reality music venue. It enables music artists to perform live in virtual reality.

Tickitto is a company based in England that provides an API for accessing event tickets across various genres and cities. Founded by Dana Lattouf, the platform serves as an artificial intelligence-based ticket assistant, simplifying the process of discovering, selecting, and purchasing tickets. It learns user preferences to offer personalized recommendations, informs users about their favorite events, and sends alerts for ticket release dates. Additionally, Tickitto's search engine compares ticket listings to help users find better deals, allowing them to choose seats and book tickets easily, thereby enhancing the overall event experience.

StoryMax is an edtech startup focused on editorial innovation that publishes relevant stories through audiovisual and interactive media on tablets and smartphones - children and young people’s favorite gadget. StoryMax’s app-books are read by thousands of emergent readers in 43 countries all over the world, as well as Brazilian and American students. The company also garners local and international recognition for its quality and innovation, such as: Comkids Prix Jeunesse Iberoamericano, the “Hipertext and Educational Technology” Award, the Jabuti Award of Literature, the Brazil-Germany Innovation Award, The Unesco Chair in Reading Distinction Award, and The Opening up Digital Fiction Reading Award. These app-books balance reading and interactivity, engaging children and young people through different languages, collaborating to the understanding of what was read and the commitment with the narrative, therefore reinforcing the importance of universal narratives to modern readers. StoryMax has been selected, among hundreds of startups, to take part and become alumni in the main Brazilian programs and ecosystems: SEED-MG, Entrepreneurship Center of the University of São Paulo, Oxigênio Aceleradora and Google Campus of São Paulo. Recently, StoryMax become alumni from the Blackbox Connect Program too.