Google have launched a competition to enable support and investment in startups implementing machine learning, with prizes on offer including a $500,000 investment opportunity from top VCs and $1 million in GCP credit.
Google Cloud’s Machine Learning Startup Competition aims to ‘bring together the most promising young startups implementing machine learning’. In order to enter, startups must be incorporated in the US – unfortunately for British companies – and have raised less than $5 million in funding, as well as actively implementing machine learning in their existing product.
The competition gives startups the chance to increase exposure to investors and venture capital firms, including Sequoia, KPCB, GV, Data Collective, Emergence Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock. Two of the firms, Data Collective and Emergence Capital, plan to contribute $500,000 each to the winning startup. All non-winning finalists will receive $200,000 in GCP credit, as well as 10 G Suite licenses for 12 months.
The competition will judge startups on the ‘uniqueness’ of their underlying machine learning implementation, alongside more traditional criteria including ability to scale, skill set and product’s readiness for market.
Applications to take part opened on March 10th and close on April 16th. The final pitch-off will take place in the summer of this year.