Top AI Startups Shine at Google Cloud Next 2026

Google made one thing very clear at this year’s Google Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas: it wants startups—especially AI startups—building on its cloud.

To back that vision, the company unveiled a massive $750 million funding pool aimed at helping partners sell AI agents to enterprise customers. This budget isn’t just for big consulting firms—it’s also open to fast-growing startups looking to scale. The funds can be used for Gemini proof-of-concept projects, cloud credits, deployment rebates, and even access to Google engineers.

Big Names Betting on Google Cloud

Several high-profile startups are already deepening their relationship with Google Cloud—and their use of AI tools like Gemini.

Notion, valued at around $11 billion, is using Gemini models to power its AI-driven writing and image generation features. Meanwhile, Gamma—often described as a next-gen alternative to PowerPoint—is tapping into Google’s advanced image model “Nano Banana 2” to enhance its platform.

Another standout is Lovable, a rapidly growing “vibe-coding” startup that is expanding its footprint by launching a new coding agent through Google’s enterprise marketplace. The company was reportedly on track for $400 million in annual recurring revenue earlier this year.

On the infrastructure side, Inferact is leveraging Nvidia GPUs via Google Cloud, along with the broader AI stack, to support high-performance workloads.

Open Source and Creative AI Tools

Google also spotlighted tools that are popular among developers and creators. ComfyUI, widely used for building AI-generated visuals, is integrating Google Cloud features and offering access to its latest models.

These integrations highlight Google’s strategy: attract both enterprise customers and the developers building the tools they rely on.

A Broader Startup Ecosystem

Beyond the headline names, Google showcased a diverse mix of startups across industries:

Chorus is building AI-powered smart tags to track goods in real time.
Emergent AI focuses on vibe-coding platforms.
ExaCare AI is improving post-acute healthcare with automation tools.
Insilica generates compliant chemical safety reports using AI.
Parallel develops research and search APIs for AI agents.
Proximal Health automates insurance claims processing.
Reducto specializes in AI-powered document parsing.
Stord manages e-commerce fulfillment and logistics.
Stylitics creates AI-generated retail visuals like outfit styling.
Temporal builds developer tools to prevent system failures.
Vapi enables developers to create conversational voice agents.
Vurvey Labs uses AI agents for synthetic market research.
Wand offers in-game AI assistants for PC gaming.
Watershed helps companies manage sustainability reporting.
ZenBusiness provides AI-powered back-office tools for small businesses.

Google’s Bigger Play

The message from Google is straightforward: AI is the future of cloud computing, and startups are key to that future.

By offering funding, infrastructure, and cutting-edge AI tools, Google is positioning itself as the go-to platform for the next wave of innovation. At the same time, it’s creating a strong ecosystem where startups can grow—and where enterprises can easily adopt AI solutions built on its cloud.

With competition heating up in the AI space, this startup-first strategy could play a major role in shaping how businesses adopt AI in the coming years.

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