Google on Thursday announced the second cohort to take part in its AI Academy American Infrastructure Academy, which seeks to support companies using AI to address issues such as cybersecurity, education, and transportation. 

The four-month program is designed for companies at a seed to Series A stage and provides equity-free support and resources like leadership coaching and sales training. It’s primarily virtual, but founders will convene for an in-person summit eventually at Google. Applications opened in late April of this year and closed mid-May; companies selected had to pass a competitive criteria, including having at least six months of runway and having proof of traction. 

Google has a pretty good track record so far of identifying notable AI startups. Alumni from Google’s American Infrastructure first cohort last year include the government contractor company Cloverleaf AI, which went on to raise a $2.8 million seed round, and Zordi, an autonomous agtech that had already raised $20 million from Khlosa Ventures. 

And it partners with some of the most significant AI companies that use its cloud.

Here were the companies selected for this latest batch: 

• Attuned Intelligence — AI-powered voice agents for call centers. 
• Block Harbor — cybersecurity for vehicle systems. 
• CircNova — uses AI to analyze RNA for therapeutics. 
• CloudRig — provides AI technology to help contractors manage schedules, production, and work plans.  
• Making Space — connects employers with disabled talent and prospective employees. 
• MedHaul — connects healthcare organizations, like hospitals and clinics, to non-emergency medical transportation to book rides for patients with mobility needs. 
• Mpathic — automates clinical workflows and provides AI oversight to clinical trials. 
• Nimblemind.ai — helps organize health data. 
• Omnia Fishing — offers personalized fishing suggestions, such as where to fish and what to bring along with you. 
• Otrafy — automates the process of supply management. 
• Partsimony — helps companies build and manage supply chains. 
• Satlyt — a computing platform to process satellite data. 
• StudyFetch — offers personalized learning experiences for students, educators, and institutions. 
• Tansy AI — lets users manage their health, such as tracking appointments and records. 
• Tradeverifyd — helps businesses track global supply chain risk. 
• Vetr Health — offers at-home veterinary care. 
• Waterplan — lets businesses track water risk. 

This is just one of a number of programs where Google invests in AI startups and research. TechCrunch reported a few months ago that it launched its inaugural AI Futures Fund initiative to back startups building with the latest AI tools from DeepMind. 

Last year, Google’s charitable wing announced a $20 million commitment to researchers and scientists in AI and an AI accelerator program to give $20 million to nonprofits developing AI technology. Sundar Pichai also said the company would create a $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund to help make AI education more accessible to people throughout the world. 

Aside from this, Google has a few notable other Academies seeking to help founders, including its Founders Academy and Growth Academy. A Google spokesperson told us earlier this year that its Google for Startups Founders Fund would also look to start backing AI-focused startups as of this year. 

The annual three-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which starts on July 26, would showcase more than 3,000 hi-tech products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered devices and 60 intelligent robots, according to the organisers. Most of the displayed AI solutions and products were developed by Chinese institutions and businesses, they added.

The gathering this year would attract 800 enterprises, including Siemens and Schneider, according to the briefing, though organisers have not yet released a detailed list of participants and speakers.

In past years, the speaker list included Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Tencent Holdings’ chairman Pony Ma Huateng and Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk, who attended in person in 2019 and delivered video speeches in 2020 and 2023. Premier Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech in 2024.