Posted by Ajeet Mirwani, Program Manager, Developer Relations
StockX is a Detroit-based tech leader focused on the large and growing online resale marketplace for sneakers, apparel, accessories, collectibles, and electronics. Its innovative marketplace enables users to anonymously buy and sell high-demand consumer products with stock market-like visibility. StockX employs over 800 people in more than 13 offices and authentication centers around the world, and facilitates sales in more than 200 countries and territories.
StockX has been selected for Google’s Late-Stage Accelerator, which offers specialized programs in the areas of tech, design, product, and people operations to enable high growth startups. This accelerator is built using the fundamentals of the Google for Startups Accelerator that runs across the globe.
Every single item sold on StockX is shipped to one of its six global authentication centers and verified by a human to ensure the item is brand new, authentic, and has no manufacturing defects, providing confidence that resale market transactions are safe and secure.
The partnership between StockX and Google came to light as StockX started looking for technology to enhance its authentication process. This process today is managed by the StockX team with “authenticators” ( i.e. employees who are specially trained at finding fakes, manufacturing defects, etc.) taking on the work.
With this problem statement in mind, we gathered experts from the Google Cloud AI team to help StockX utilize machine learning / AI to improve the speed and accuracy of authentication, spotting which items are fake or have a manufacturing defect. This is a perfect problem for AI - StockX captures large amounts of information about every item and whether it passed or failed authentication, enabling the team to quickly gather training data. StockX and the Accelerator team started collaboration early in the process, planning the project phases together and bringing Google’s experience and expertise in solving these types of problems to bear. The teams meet weekly, sharing data, insights and feedback to enable fast iteration.
Google’s experts in applied machine learning (ML) from the Late-Stage Accelerator have already saved the StockX technical team significant time on model architecture and data management. Both teams are looking forward to moving this collaboration to the next stage of model development, training and serving into production. More to come!
Posted by Jennifer Kohl, Program Manager, Developer Community Programs
Eustache Luckens Yadley at a GDG Port-au-Prince meetup
Meet Eustache Luckens Yadley, or “Yadley” for short. As a web developer from Port-au-Prince, Yadley has spent his career building web applications that benefit the local Haitian economy. Whether it’s ecommerce platforms that bring local sellers to market or software tools that help local businesses operate more effectively, Yadley has always been there with a technical hand to lend.
However, Yadley has also spent his career watching Haiti’s unemployment numbers rise to among the highest in the Caribbean. As he describes it,
“Every day, several thousand young people have no job to get by.”
So with code in mind and mouse in hand, Yadley got right to work. His first step was to identify a need in the economy. He soon figured out that Haiti had a shortage of delivery methods for consumers, making home delivery purchases of any kind extremely unreliable. With this observation, Yadley also noticed that there was a surplus of workers willing to deliver the goods, but no infrastructure to align their needs with that of the market’s.
Yadley watching a demo at a GDG Port-au-Prince meetup
In this moment, Yadley did what many good developers would do: build an app. He created the framework for what is now called “Livrezonpam,” an application that allows companies to post where and when they need a particular product delivered and workers to find the corresponding delivery jobs closest to them.
With a brilliant solution, Yadley’s last step was to find the right technical tools to build the concept out and make it a viable platform that users could work with to their benefit.
It was at this crucial step when Yadley found the Port-au-Prince Google Developer Group. With GDG Port-au-Prince, Yadley was able to bring his young app right into the developer community, run different demos of his product to experienced users, and get feedback from a wide array of developers with an intimate knowledge of the Haitian tech scene. The takeaways from working in the community translated directly to his work. Yadley learned how to build with the Google Cloud Platform Essentials, which proved key in managing all the data his app now collects. He also learned how to get the Google Maps Platform API working for his app, creating a streamlined user experience that helped workers and companies in Haiti locate one another with precision and ease.
This wide array of community technical resources, from trainings, to mentors, to helpful friends, allowed Yadley to grow his knowledge of several Google technologies, which in turn allowed him to grow his app for the Haitian community.
Today, Yadley is still an active member of the GDG community, growing his skills and those of the many friends around him. And at the same time, he is still growing Librezonpam on the Google Play App Store to help local businesses reach their customers and bring more jobs directly to the people of Haiti.
Ready to start building with a Google Developer Group near you? Find the closest community to you, here.
Japan is well known as an epicenter of innovation and technology, and its startup ecosystem is no different. We’ve seen this first hand from our work with startups such as Cinnamon-- who uses artificial intelligence to remove repetitive tasks from office workers daily function, allowing more work to get done by fewer people, faster.
This is why we are pleased to announce our second accelerator program, housed at the new Google for Startups Campus in the heart of Tokyo. The Google for Startups Accelerator (previously Launchpad Accelerator) is an intensive three-month program for high potential, AI-focused startups, utilizing the proven Launchpad foundational components and content.
Posted by Roy Glasberg, Head of Launchpad
Launchpad's mission is to accelerate innovation and to help startups build world-class technologies by leveraging the best of Google - its people, network, research, and technology.
In September 2018, the Launchpad team welcomed ten of the world's leading FinTech startups to join their accelerator program, helping them fast-track their application of advanced technology. Today, March 15th, we will see this cohort graduate from the program at the Launchpad team's inaugural event - The Future of Finance - a global discussion on the impact of applied ML/AI on the finance industry. These startups are ensuring that everyone has relevant insights at their fingertips and that all people, no matter where they are, have access to equitable money, banking, loans, and marketplaces.
Tune into the event from wherever you are via the livestream link
The Graduating Class of Launchpad FinTech Accelerator San Francisco'19
Since joining the accelerator, these startups have made great strides and are going from strength to strength. Some recent announcements from this cohort include:
We look forward to following the success of all our participating founders as they continue to make a significant impact on the global economy.
Want to know more about the Launchpad Accelerator? Visit our site, stay updated on developments and future opportunities by subscribing to the Google Developers newsletter and visit The Launchpad Blog.
Posted by Malika Cantor, Program Manager for Launchpad
The Lever is Google Developers Launchpad's new resource for sharing applied-Machine Learning (ML) content to help startups innovate and thrive. In partnership with experts and leaders across Google and Alphabet, The Lever is operated by Launchpad, Google's global startup acceleration program. The Lever will publish the Launchpad community's experiences of integrating ML into products, and will include case studies, insights from mentors, and best practices from both Google and global thought leaders.
Peter Norvig, Google ML Research Director, and Cassie Kozyrkov, Google Cloud Chief Decision Scientist, are editors of the publication. Hear from them and other Googlers on the importance of developing and sharing applied ML product and business methodologies:
Peter Norvig (Google ML Research, Director): "The software industry has had 50 years to perfect a methodology of software development. In Machine Learning, we've only had a few years, so companies need to pay more attention to the process in order to create products that are reliable, up-to-date, have good accuracy, and are respectful of their customers' private data."
Cassie Kozyrkov (Chief Decision Scientist, Google Cloud): "We live in exciting times where the contributions of researchers have finally made it possible for non-experts to do amazing things with Artificial Intelligence. Now that anyone can stand on the shoulders of giants, process-oriented avenues of inquiry around how to best apply ML are coming to the forefront. Among these is decision intelligence engineering: a new approach to ML, focusing on how to discover opportunities and build towards safe, effective, and reliable solutions. The world is poised to make data more useful than ever before!"
Clemens Mewald (Lead, Machine Learning X and TensorFlow X): "ML/AI has had a profound impact in many areas, but I would argue that we're still very early in this journey. Many applications of ML are incremental improvements on existing features and products. Video recommendations are more relevant, ads have become more targeted and personalized. However, as Sundar said, AI is more profound than electricity (or fire). Electricity enabled modern technology, computing, and the internet. What new products will be enabled by ML/AI? I am convinced that the right ML product methodologies will help lead the way to magical products that have previously been unthinkable."
We invite you to follow the publication, and actively comment on our blog posts to share your own experience and insights.
At Area 120, Google's internal workshop for experimental ideas, we're working on early-stage projects and quickly iterate to test concepts. We heard from developers that they're looking at how to make money to fund their VR applications, so we started experimenting with what a native, mobile VR ad format might look like.
Developers and users have told us they want to avoid disruptive, hard-to-implement ad experiences in VR. So our first idea for a potential format presents a cube to users, with the option to engage with it and then see a video ad. By tapping on the cube or gazing at it for a few seconds, the cube opens a video player where the user can watch, and then easily close, the video. Here's how it works:
Our work focuses on a few key principles - VR ad formats should be easy for developers to implement, native to VR, flexible enough to customize, and useful and non-intrusive for users. Our Area 120 team has seen some encouraging results with a few test partners, and would love to work with the developer community as this work evolves - across Cardboard (on Android and iOS), Daydream and Samsung Gear VR.
If you're a VR developer (or want to be one) and are interested in testing this format with us, please fill out this form to apply for our early access program. We have an early-stage SDK available and you can get up and running easily. We're excited to continue experimenting with this format and hope you'll join us for the ride!
Posted by Roy Glasberg Global Lead, Launchpad Accelerator
We’re heading to the city of San Francisco this September to open a new space for developers and startups. With over 14,000 sq. ft. at 301 Howard Street, we’ll have more than enough elbow room to train, educate and collaborate with local and international developers and startups.
The space will hold a range of events: Google Developer Group community meetups, Codelabs, Design Sprints, and Tech Talks. It will also host the third class of Launchpad Accelerator, our equity-free accelerator for startups in emerging markets. During each class, over 20 Google teams provide comprehensive mentoring to late-stage app startups who seek to scale and become leaders in their local markets. The 3-month program starts with an all-expenses-paid two week bootcamp at Google HQ.
Developers are in an ever-changing landscape and seek technical training. We’ve also seen a huge surge in the number of developers starting their own companies. Lastly, this is an unique opportunity to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and emerging markets. To date Launchpad Accelerator has nearly 50 alumni in India, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico. Startups in these markets are tackling critical local problems, but they often lack access to the resources and network we have here. This dedicated space will enable us to regularly engage with developers and serve their evolving needs, whether that is to build a product, grow a company or make revenue.
We can’t wait to get started and work with developers to build successful businesses that have a positive impact locally and globally.
Roy Glasberg, Global Lead, Launchpad Program & Accelerator
This week Launchpad Accelerator announces its second class, which includes 24 promising startups from around the world. While the number of accelerators is at an all-time high, we take a different approach with Launchpad Accelerator, a program that exclusively works with late-stage tech startups in emerging markets -- Brazil, Indonesia, India and Mexico.
See what it’s like to participate in the Accelerator.
“We provide comprehensive mentorship that delivers results,” says Jacob Greenshpan, one of Launchpad’s lead mentors. “We start by running a ‘patient diagnostic’ to determine each startup’s critical challenges, and then deploy precise mentorship, actionable solutions, and Google resources that enables the app to scale.”
Class 2 kicks off June 13. The startups will descend on Google HQ for an intensive 2 week bootcamp. Under the tutelage of Google product teams and mentors from the global Launchpad network, they will receive intensive, targeted mentoring, equity-free funding, and more benefits during the 6-month program.
Here’s the full list of startups (by country):
Google’s “Scalerator” Drives Results for Alumni
What advice do Class 1 alumni give to the new intake? “Come to the accelerator with an open mind. You will be shocked to find how many things are going wrong in your app. Thankfully the mentors will help you implement better solutions,” says Vinicius Heimbeck, Founder of Brazilian mobile game developer UpBeat Games.
UpBeat Games had more than 1,000% increase in daily app installations in Asia during the period of a feature, as well as a 200% overall increase in active users after following a long list of improvements Accelerator mentors suggested. “We made optimizations that led us to be featured in Google Play, which changed everything for us.”
See Upbeat Games at the Accelerator in this video.
“Believe you can build a world class product. The mentors will push you to bet on yourself,” says Amarendra Sahu, Nestaway Co-founder and Class 1 alumni. NestAway just closed a $30M Series C, one of the largest investment rounds in India this year.
“Your biggest enemy is not failure; it is the temptation to be ordinary. But the mentors will push you to build an extraordinary product and scale an extraordinary startup," says eFishery Co-founder and CEO Gibran Chuzaefah Amsi El Farizy, who was announced as one of the top 27 leaders in Indonesia’s startup ecosystem, after participating in the Accelerator program.
Posted by Roy Glasberg Global Lead, Launchpad Program & Accelerator
Available to startups around the world, Google Launchpad offers resources, technology and expertise to help developers design, develop and distribute their apps. The Launchpad program includes a number of activities: Launchpad Week supports early-stage companies and focuses on high-impact mentorship, while Launchpad Day and Launchpad Summits similarly serves later-stage developers. So far, these events have been hosted in more than 30 countries and impacted more than 8,000 startups.
To complement all these efforts and provide a more intimate experience for developers, we're expanding Launchpad to now also include the Launchpad Accelerator - a program that offers six months of hands-on support and training to help high-potential startups in India, Brazil and Indonesia build high quality apps and successful businesses. As part of the program, developers will be connected with Google professionals, world-class mentors and equity-free funding (up to $50,000 per startup) to help them quickly scale and reach their true potential.
The first wave kicks off on January 18th in Mountain View, CA, where over twenty pre-selected startups will coincide for two-weeks of intensive programming. Afterward, each company will return to their home country where mentorship will be ongoing, both locally and remotely, for the remaining time of the program. The startups will also receive credit for a range of Google services, as well as free co-working space. In the coming month, we’ll expand Launchpad Accelerator to more countries.
We’re now accepting new applications for the next round of the program, which begins in mid-2016. If you’re interested in participating to accelerate your app to the next level, apply here!
Posted by Amir Shevat, Google Developers Launchpad Program Manager
With new events, improved courses and an expanded mentorship network - Startup Launch is now Google Developers Launchpad. We’re changing our program name to emphasize how you can use our resources as a launch pad to scale and monetize your app business. Read on to learn about our upcoming events and how you can apply to participate.
Launchpad Week, Launchpad’s weeklong in-person bootcamp for early-stage apps, continues to expand, with new 2015 programs planned in Munich, Mexico City, Helsinki, Bogota, and Sydney, to name a few. We’ll also regularly host these events in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin, and Paris.
We kicked off Launchpad Week in Bengaluru, India and Bordeaux, France last month. 32 startups and 80 experts from these communities gathered at Idiom Design Center and Le Node for a week of product, UX, and technology sprints designed to help transform ideas into validated, scalable businesses.
Featured startups from Bengaluru included iReff, an app that helps pre-paid mobile users find the best recharge plan for their specific needs. In Bordeaux, Google Developer Expert David Gageot volunteered as a tech mentor, helping startups “ship early, ship often” through testing and continuous integration.
For later-stage startups, we’re providing some of the best tech experts to help optimize apps for Material Design, Android TV, and Google Cast at two-day Google Developer Summits. At an event in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last week, we had participants such as game developer Etermax, the team behind Trivia Crack. Similar events happened in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Bengaluru this month, and we’re looking forward to inviting more startups to this program in London, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, and New York in 2015.
In 2014, we helped over 5,000 developers in 170 countries get their ideas off the ground by providing the infrastructure back-end that allows developers to build incredible products. For example, our program delivered software architecture reviews and Google Cloud Platform credits to help entrepreneurs in the program build businesses that scale with them. Check out how Fansino is using Google Cloud Platform to let artists interact with their fans.
We’ve also expanded our product offer for early-stage startups to include AdWords promotional offers for new accounts. Whatever your monetization plan, we’re making it easy to get started with tools like the new In-app Billing API and instruction from the AdMob team.
Starting this month, we’ll offer a virtual curriculum of how Google products can help your startup. We’re kicking things off with new Launchpad Online videos covering Google Analytics - are you observing how your users use your app? How do different promotional channels perform?
The series continues in April 2015 with AdMob products, and will expand with instruction in implementing material design and conducting user research later in the year.
If you can’t wait, we’ve also built courses together with Udacity to take your technical skills to the next level on topics, including Android, Java, Web Fundamentals, and UX.
Apply to Google Developers Launchpad program to take advantage of these offers - g.co/launchpad. Here’s to a great launch!
