International tech giant Google has just announced the launch of a new program aimed to help startup founders and their teams through virtual courses called Startup School. The program will be available for anyone within EMEA, the Americas, and the APAC region.

In a blog post that announced the launch of the new program, Head of Google for Startups, APAC Michael Kim said, “Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to meet many inspiring founders like Hanna, who are eager to learn, and ready to take their startups to the next level. Especially in the last year, I’ve heard from founders that they’re looking for more tools and skills to pivot and scale their startups to face today’s challenges.”

The program stems from the company’s Google for Startups, which was launched in 2011. Since then it has helped numerous founders with their startups. Last year, Hanna Kim, founder of South Korean live-streaming e-commerce platform Grip, finished Google’s Immersion: Womens Founders Program, an eight-week mentorship program. Kim shared, “It’s been really helpful to get insights about business and HR. The program made me dream even bigger.”

After years of creating training programs to help startups run, Google was forced to migrate to a fully digital teaching platform due to the coronavirus pandemic. Startup School will work from the challenges and insights Google for Startups experienced last year.

Startup School will be a free service that offers hand-on virtual courses. They will host one session per week over the next 12 weeks. The interactive courses will tackle several topics including digital marketing, product knowledge, and business strategy. Participants will be able to choose from several topics that will best fit their goals. The interactive session will be led by Googlers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.

Kim ends his post by saying, “Around the world, I’ve seen startups stepping up to solve new and unforeseen challenges, from an app that provides online sign language to a chatbot service that assists online sellers. This kind of agility and innovative thinking is precisely what we need to face today’s challenges. We are committed to helping startups succeed, and know that their success will help solve community problems and bolster our local economies.”

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