TLDRs;
- Google Cloud secures Lovable and Windsurf, expanding its role as a go-to platform for AI startups.
- Cognition’s startups gain Gemini AI integration and robust cloud infrastructure to power development projects.
- Google Cloud revenue hit $43.2B in 2024, reflecting strong AI-driven growth across its business.
- The new Agent Payments Protocol signals Google’s ambition to set standards for AI-powered financial transactions.
Google Cloud continues to cement its position in the artificial intelligence ecosystem after onboarding two fast-growing AI coding startups, Lovable and Windsurf, as primary clients.
Both firms, recently acquired by Cognition, have selected Google Cloud as their main infrastructure provider, signaling a growing trend among AI startups to lean on Google’s expansive cloud capabilities and Gemini AI models.
Cognition links startups to Google’s ecosystem
Lovable and Windsurf’s move to Google Cloud follows their acquisition by Cognition, an AI research company developing advanced agent-based systems.
Windsurf, in particular, has already integrated Gemini models into projects that involve Devin, Cognition’s high-profile AI agent designed to streamline software development.
By joining Google’s infrastructure, these startups gain access not only to reliable cloud storage and compute power but also to direct integrations with Gemini AI, helping them accelerate product development.
The addition of Lovable and Windsurf is part of a broader trend. Google claims that nine of the world’s top 10 AI labs and more than 60% of generative AI startups now operate on its cloud. This consolidation signals a clear strategy from Google Cloud to position itself as the backbone of the AI startup ecosystem, competing head-to-head with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
Google Cloud’s revenue on steady rise
Financially, the results speak for themselves. Google Cloud reported US$43.2 billion in revenue for 2024, a sharp increase from US$33.1 billion in 2023.
The growth highlights how AI adoption has directly translated into stronger cloud demand. Much of this success comes from startup-focused initiatives, such as cloud credits, infrastructure support, and priority access to Nvidia GPUs, particularly for companies in the Y Combinator accelerator.
With the AI boom still in its early stages, cloud providers see startups as an essential growth engine. Programs that provide discounted access to infrastructure are often the first touchpoint for young AI firms, which later grow into major enterprise customers. By locking in Lovable, Windsurf, and others at this early stage, Google Cloud is essentially betting on tomorrow’s AI leaders.
Expanding AI tools and protocols
The onboarding of Lovable and Windsurf comes just days after Google Cloud introduced its Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open framework designed to support secure, AI-driven financial transactions.
Built with more than 60 global organizations, AP2 allows AI agents to authenticate and process payments across multiple platforms, including credit cards, stablecoins, and real-time bank transfers.
The timing of these announcements reflects Google Cloud’s ambition to not only host AI applications but also shape the standards for how AI systems interact with finance, commerce, and everyday digital operations. For startups like Lovable and Windsurf, such infrastructure provides a trusted foundation as they scale their products and explore new markets.
The bigger picture for AI infrastructure
The decision by Lovable and Windsurf underscores a broader industry shift where cloud services are becoming deeply intertwined with AI innovation.
Rather than just being storage and compute providers, companies like Google Cloud are increasingly central to how AI models are trained, deployed, and monetized.
As the competition intensifies among major providers, startups stand to benefit the most. With AI infrastructure now at the center of technological progress, partnerships like these highlight the pivotal role cloud providers will play in shaping the future of intelligent systems.
