Google and Scaler Launch Startup School: Prompt to Prototype

Google for Startups, in a strategic collaboration with Scaler, has announced the launch of ‘Startup School: Prompt to Prototype’. This intensive two-week skilling program is meticulously designed to equip India’s early-stage founders, startup teams, and aspiring entrepreneurs with the essential tools and knowledge to turn their innovative ideas into functional, AI-powered prototypes using Google’s cutting-edge AI technologies.

Despite India's vibrant ecosystem of over 180,000 startups, fewer than 2% are truly AI-native. This critical gap, coupled with the AI revolution making 'idea literacy' the new currency, presents a unique opportunity for Indian founders. 'Prompt to Prototype' directly addresses this by dismantling traditional coding barriers, empowering entrepreneurs to rapidly transform their vision into AI-powered products and gain a decisive edge.

Running from November 27 to December 7, 2025, the hands-on program features a series of live online sessions and workshops led by Google experts and seasoned industry mentors. Participants will embark on a comprehensive journey, learning to ideate, research, design, and deploy AI-first solutions using powerful tools such as Gemini, Nano Banana, Imagen, Veo, NotebookLM, and AI Studio.

Commenting on this transformative collaboration, Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-Founder of Scaler, stated, “At Scaler, our focus has always been on bridging the gap between talent and opportunity. With ‘Prompt to Prototype,’ we’re taking a major step towards empowering India’s founders to build AI-first products faster and smarter. In an era of technological shifts that can create uncertainty, this program offers a clear pathway for individuals not only to adapt but to thrive as creators and innovators. Together with Google for Startups, we’re showing that innovation no longer needs to be gated by code but just curiosity, creativity, and the right tools.”

“At Google for Startups, our goal is to make the power of AI accessible to every founder and not just those with technical expertise. Through ‘Startup School: Prompt to Prototype,’ we’re enabling entrepreneurs to move from concept to creation faster and with greater confidence. By combining Google’s AI ecosystem with Scaler’s strong learning network, we hope to inspire a new generation of Indian founders who can turn bold ideas into transformative products,” says Ragini Das, Head of Google for Startups - India.

A core tenet of the program is its emphasis on tangible outcomes. Participants will gain practical experience in leveraging AI for critical startup functions, including:

• AI-First Prototyping & Science of Prompt: Mastering frameworks for high-quality, predictable AI outputs and building custom AI assistants.
• AI-Powered Research: Utilising NotebookLM to synthesise market reports, competitor analyses, and user interviews into actionable, cited insights.
• AI Creative Studio: Generating professional landing page copy, unique app icons, and original brand assets using Gemini Canvas and Imagen.
• AI Prototyping Sandbox: Controlling AI models, tuning creativity, and generating clean, structured data, with the ability to translate chat prototypes into Python or JavaScript code.
• AI Developer & Orchestrator: Building complete, multi-file web applications from simple English prompts, adding features with AI assistance, and deploying them to a public URL on Cloud Run.

At the culmination of the program, participants will submit their AI prototypes. A select number of outstanding innovators will be invited to showcase their groundbreaking work at the prestigious ‘Build the Future’ Showcase in January 2026. These chosen participants will also receive invaluable mentorship from Google experts, who will guide them in further refining and scaling their ventures.

This initiative is proudly supported by key governmental and industry bodies, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Startup India, India AI Mission, and NASSCOM. 

Successful participants will receive a Google-recognised certificate validating their AI skills and gain access to Scaler’s vibrant ecosystem for networking. This collaboration between Google for Startups and Scaler aims to accelerate India’s journey to becoming a global AI-first startup hub, empowering founders to confidently learn, build, and scale, and transforming AI adoption challenges into growth opportunities.