Google has launched its first-ever ‘AI Academy’ program in the Asia-Pacific region to support startups leveraging AI in fields such as healthcare, finance, security, and sustainability. Among the 23 innovative startups selected across the region, seven are from South Korea, highlighting the strength of the country’s AI technology.

Designed to help startups advance their AI solutions and scale their businesses, the AI Academy kicked off with a three-day boot camp in Singapore starting on the 15th. Founders from startups across seven countries—Korea, India, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Pakistan—took part in the event.

Over the next three months, the selected startups will benefit from over 170 hours of customized mentoring sessions with AI and cloud experts. They will also receive up to $350,000 (approximately 470 million KRW) in Google Cloud credits (GCP) and gain valuable networking opportunities with AI innovators across the Asia-Pacific region.

Among the seven South Korean startups selected are CipherData, which develops AI-powered security platforms to enhance corporate cybersecurity and data protection; Cliwant, which uses AI to help companies analyze business documents quickly; Testbank, which has developed the Solve app that converts PDFs into digital content for problem-solving; HayanMind, which offers AI-based solutions to boost mobile app revenue; Smoretalk, an AI design assistant supporting brand marketing; Podonos, which provides automated AI model analysis for developers; and Sankun, which uses AI and big data solutions to improve decision-making, automation, and efficiency in the construction industry. These startups are pushing the boundaries of innovation and actively contributing to the AI ecosystem.

Notably, HayanMind, which participated in the 4th batch of Google Play’s ‘Changgu’ program, a growth initiative for Korean app and game developers in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, has also been selected for the AI Academy. The company aims to further strengthen its AI capabilities through the program.

Michael Kim, Head of Google Startup Campus APAC, said, “We are excited to launch the first AI Academy program in the Asia-Pacific region. The 23 participating startups are leading innovation across diverse fields like financial services and healthcare by harnessing the potential of AI. We hope this program will drive waves of innovation in AI and other future technologies throughout the Asia-Pacific region.”