California

Henry’s House of Coffee

Location: San Francisco, California
Website: https://henryshouseofcoffee.com/
95% faster asset creation with NotebookLM

Hrag Kalebjian didn’t set out to join the family business. He’d grown up with Henry’s House of Coffee, a roastery and coffee shop named for his father, who was a second-generation roaster himself. Hrag went into corporate finance after college, but when his father considered retiring in 2013, Hrag decided to make a career change. “I saw a big opportunity in the online space, since my Dad didn’t have a website,” he says. “I’ve been here ever since and I love every single day.” He added e-commerce and modernized the shop, balancing efficiency with respect for Henry’s 30 years of experience. They now offer nationwide shipping, and subscriptions account for 25 percent of online sales. Known for high-quality roasts and Armenian coffee, the shop is a fixture in San Francisco’s Sunset District. “My business is all about relationships,” Hrag says. “Coffee is the medium for us to communicate.”

Hrag used Gemini to help him write the code to create a daily sales forecaster. If he ran into issues, he would give Gemini a screenshot and get a suggestion for how to fix them. “It only took about an hour to set up and I get the report every morning,” he says. He also uses Gemini to help synthesize coffee-related news and write the “Sunday Pour,” a weekly newsletter that gets “an amazing response.” To revamp an instruction card for their shop’s Armenian coffee kit, Hrag put the old 15-step PDF into NotebookLM. “After maybe 20 minutes of me uploading and talking to it, I had a card that was ready to print,” he says. NotebookLM also helps him build slides with fun, coffee-themed visual metaphors to clearly explain the finances at family shareholder meetings, a process that now takes five minutes instead of several hours. Next on the agenda: producing coffee advent calendars that Hrag designed using Nano Banana. And, waiting for one of his kids to become a fourth-generation coffee roaster.

EdVisorly

Location: Los Angeles, California
Website: https://edvisorly.com/
25 employees

In 2019, U.S. Air Force veteran Manny Smith and two partners were inspired to create EdVisorly. It’s a mobile app that makes it easier for those community college students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree to transfer to four-year universities. “I realized I could combine my technology product manager experience from the military with my passion to help students,” says Manny, EdVisorly’s CEO. With the app, students can explore schools, connect with admissions teams, and apply to multiple universities with just a few clicks. EdVisorly’s proprietary EddyAI technology also decreases the time it takes admissions teams to process transcripts and evaluate transfer credits. “We want to build a bridge from community college to universities,” says Manny, “and help universities better recruit transfer students at scale.”

As part of Google for Startups in 2024, EdVisorly refined their business model and technology. “We made more progress in two months than I made in the first 18 months of building EdVisorly,” Manny says. The 25-person team uses BigQuery, Google’s data analytics platform, to help decide how to best help students navigate steps like transferring their credits. “We make so many product decisions because of BigQuery,” says Lizzie Allison, EdVisorly's chief innovation officer, “starting from what transcripts we can automate while ensuring data accuracy.” The team streamlines business workflows with Gemini, using it to write emails, summarize documents, and create presentations. Lizzie says, “We ask the team, ‘How can you optimize your work with AI so you can spend more time with our clients?’” Adds Manny, “AI has the capacity across everything you do in your business to improve an integration or a function. Every business should consider how to use it.”

Patty's Cakes and Desserts

Location: Fullerton, California
Website: https://shop.pattys-cakes.com/
26 employees

Patty’s Cakes and Desserts started in 1985 as a hobby for single mom Patty Gomez, who enjoyed baking and decorating cakes for friends and neighbors in her spare time. Demand for her creations boomed, and soon she was running a full-time business from home. In 2010, a longtime dream became a reality when she and one of her three sons, Philip, opened a storefront. Since then, Patty’s has not only become a community favorite, but has also captured the attention of notable clients and various celebrities. Patty and Philip’s success is due not only to their commitment to the highest quality products and excellent customer service, but also to the support of digital tools.

The pair has used Google products to market their desserts from the start. “We put up our Google Business Profile the minute we had a physical address,” says Philip. The bakery‘s Business Profile now has 5-star ratings from nearly 1,800 reviews and gets about 22,000 connections each month. “We aren’t shy about reminding customers to leave reviews, and our new customers tell us they chose us because of our high ratings,” Philip says. He also uses Google Analytics to track website visits, which have increased 22 percent year over year since 2011. Revenues at Patty’s have averaged a 17-percent annual growth for the last four years. “We were one of the few bakeries set up to handle a sudden increase in online sales during the pandemic,” Philip says. Patty’s has run Google Ads since 2019, including AI-powered Performance Max campaigns, and Philip estimates that Google Ads drove 33 percent of the bakery’s revenue in 2023. Patty’s is continuing to streamline operations. “We’re modernizing the neighborhood bakery with technology, because when things run smoothly, both customers and employees have a great experience,” Philip says. “We have a unique ability to provide happiness through our desserts.”

Benchmark Labs

Location: San Diego, California
Website: https://www.benchmarklabs.com/
85% more accurate weather forecasts supported by AI

People who work in agriculture need accurate forecasts, says Carlos Gaitan, a 2023 Google for Startups Founders Funds recipient. He’s the CEO of Benchmark Labs, co-founded by Carlos, Ulrik Soderstrom, and the late Chris Lund in 2019 to solve a problem: National Weather Service forecasts cover wide regions. “Farm managers aren’t able to accurately plan their resource needs, increasing operating costs,” Carlos explains. That’s why Benchmark Labs’ AI-based technology provides forecasts tailored to a farm’s specific location, making them up to 85 percent more accurate. “We’re solving a real problem for growers all over the world, allowing them to conserve water, energy, and fertilizers, helping the environment and creating better working conditions,” he says. Customers are increasing yields by 50 to 100 percent, and some have reduced water needs by 10 percent or more.

Benchmark Labs has used Google Cloud since their founding in 2019 to develop, test, and validate machine learning models. It’s their “secret sauce,” Carlos notes. “We can expand and contract our cloud usage based on data requirements. It’s appealing for a startup because we can control our cloud computing costs.” The team collaborates with Google Workspace tools like Google Meet and Docs, and Carlos uses Gemini to find and synthesize information quickly: “It produced a list of the top 200 wineries in California, with contacts, in seconds. We’re planning a Gemini-enabled chatbot for our customer support team.” Benchmark Labs partners with preserve managers from the Nature Conservancy to help prevent forest fires, and will soon be serving forecasts to additional preserves. Since delivering their first prototypes in 2020, revenue has doubled every year. “Google is helping us scale,” Carlos says. “We’re helping smaller farmers get precision tools that could mean the difference between staying in business or not.”

California Electronics

Location: Garden Grove, California
Website: https://californiaelectronics.com/
850K pounds of recyclables managed yearly

Growing up the youngest of 11 kids, Octavio DeLaTorre learned to repair and reuse items at an early age. “I was fascinated with electronics and fixing things, even as a child,” he recalls. Octavio grew his love for electronics into a career. In 2021, he and his wife, Erica DeLaTorre, purchased California Electronics, where he had worked for many years. Originally a consignment operation that sold refurbished business industrial electronics like computers, they’ve since expanded the business to offer eco-ethical recycling. Now, they help companies securely dispose of end-of-life electronics, such as IT assets and medical and lab equipment. “We want to keep the e-waste that is killing the environment out of landfills,” Octavio says. “Google tools have helped us market the business and promote recycling.”

Google Ads help them bring in B2B customers seeking large-scale recycling and data destruction services, compliant with environmental laws and privacy standards. “We are focused on property managers, hospitals, and data centers,” Octavio notes. “Google Ads are essential to attract those industries. Google Analytics helps us identify what type of business we want to drive here and lets us analyze the data to get the most out of every click to our site.” Google Workspace tools help them run their growing business, which employs 20+ people. “Our new hires already know how to use Google Docs, Sheets, and Calendar,” Octavio says. “Everyone has access via Google Drive. We have real-time documents that we can change on the fly.” They want to educate the public about eco-friendly recycling, offering free recycling pickup events at business centers during Earth Month. “As a society, we have so much e-waste,” Octavio says. “We want to be the trusted partner to help businesses recycle properly and protect the environment.”

nēdl

Location: Santa Monica, California
Website: https://home.nedl.com/
1.5 million live keyword audio search queries to date

When Ayinde Alakoye noticed how challenging it can be to distinguish your voice on social media, he decided to do something about it. In 2017, he founded the mobile platform nēdl. Named for the “needle in the haystack,” nēdl lets anyone create a live call-in radio show using their own mobile phone–and then helps listeners find them by offering immediate transcriptions that can be searched in real time. Want to know who’s talking about health care or elections (or even chili recipes) right this moment? nēdl can show you. “It democratizes access to information,” Ayinde says. “So that everybody’s voice counts.”

To find out just how its customers like to use nēdl, Ayinde and his team turn to Google Analytics. The detailed data and insights help guide them as they design their product roadmap and innovate for the future. “Google Analytics helps us see in real time what our users think of new features, so we can make truly informed product decisions,” Ayinde says. nēdl was invited to join the Google for Startups Accelerator Voice AI program, a three-month digital session where they met and collaborated with other innovators–a process that helped them “put all this amazing information and technology into our product,” says Ayinde. Another turning point for nēdl was when the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund awarded $100,000 in non-dilutive capital. “It was such a big, big moment for us,” says Ayinde. “It enabled us to implement features, fix bugs, and stabilize our platform. It put us in a position to keep building for our big launch this summer.” Listeners seem to like what they’re hearing: they’ve searched nēdl more than 1.5 million times to tune into new conversations and broaden their horizons.

Javi's Cooking

Location: Oakland, California
Website: https://javiscooking.com/
4.7 Star Rating (77 reviews)

Javier Sandes came to the U.S. from Argentina in 2001 to play soccer in college. When injuries forced him to leave the sport, he was uncertain about his future, so to keep busy, he began cooking. “I developed a passion for food, and my friends suggested I open a restaurant,” Javier says. After speaking with local restaurant and bar owners, he learned that they needed on-the-go options—Argentine empanadas seemed like the perfect place to start. In 2011, Javier launched Javi’s Cooking, an empanada wholesale business, making small batches for local bars and cafes, which repeatedly sold out. After expanding and securing a partnership with the Oakland Coliseum, he opened his own restaurant, in 2018. Javier could now focus on growing his business with the help of digital products like a Business Profile on Google, where he’d share photos of his famous flaky, hand-held treats and gather reviews from happy patrons who used his Business Profile to find—and share their love of—the restaurant.

In 2020, Javi’s Cooking hoped to double revenue and expand beyond the 30-50 thousand empanadas they produced monthly. But when the pandemic hit, the wholesale portion of the business disappeared. ”I pivoted, turning my empanada shop into a grocery store—to meet customer needs and help my distributors,” he explains. He began working with World Central Kitchen to provide 800 meals a week to local shelters and churches. While word of mouth drove business prior to the pandemic, Javier now uses digital tools to reach his audience. “Google products help me understand how people find my store and what they’re looking for,” he says. And Javier feels a deep sense of responsibility to give back. “I believe that the more you give, the more you’ll get,” he says. “I’ll continue to leverage tools to understand what my community needs from me and expand my partnerships.” In 2021, he hopes to work with the local school district and launch a program to provide kitchen jobs for youth in the East Bay.

Peninsula Party Rentals

Location: Palo Alto, California
Website: www.peninsulaparty.com
12 employees

Husband-and-wife duo Feliciano “Chano” Zavala and Ines Zavala worked together at a San Francisco party rental company for 10 years before having twins altered the course of their careers. Wanting to provide for their growing family, the Zavalas were determined to start their own business, so, in 2005 they used their life savings to found Peninsula Party Rentals. The couple rented tables and chairs out of their garage for three years and steadily grew until they were able to move to a more commercial location. But when the economic recession hit in 2008, Chano knew that location alone would not be enough — if they wanted to stay in business, they needed to get online. “I had a meeting with my wife and said, ‘You know what, we can’t let this happen. This is our business, our livelihood,’” said Chano. “So we created a website.”

With its site, Peninsula Party Rentals was able to keep its business going during those uncertain times. This encouraged the Zavalas to explore running Google Ads, a cost-efficient alternative to traditional advertising. “We slowly started figuring out that it was bringing us more money than newspapers and the Yellow Pages,” said Chano. “The return on investment was a lot bigger.” Today, 100% of the company’s marketing budget goes toward digital. The Zavalas also use free tools like Google My Business to provide potential clients with the most up-to-date information about their business on Google Search and Maps. “Clients can now have all the information at their fingertips, and if they want to come to our site and place an order or contact the company, it’s just right there,” said Chano.

Peninsula Party Rentals currently employs 12 people and serves an average of 300 customers per month. Since advertising with Google, sales have increased 25% year over year. “Google Ads is bringing in enough clients to max our inventory capacity,” said Chano. Committed to paying their success forward, the Zavalas offer discounts to schools and nonprofit organizations and sponsor youth baseball teams all over the Bay Area. The Zavalas soon hope to open more Peninsula Party Rentals locations across northern California. They’ve achieved their goal of providing for their family and a whole lot more. “We’ve been growing at a very steady pace,” said Chano. “Within five years, we’ll probably be in a position where we can either get investors or have our own locations in different cities.”

Walker & Company Brands

Location: Palo Alto, California
Website: www.getbevel.com
25 employees

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Tristan Walker didn't like what he saw. “I was tired of having to go to the 'ethnic beauty' aisle and feeling like a second-class citizen,” he says. In 2013, Tristan founded Walker & Company, a family of brands designed to offer people of color a wide range of high-quality health and beauty products. “I saw an amazing opportunity to build a very special consumer package goods company that would redefine this industry,” Tristan explains, “so I leveraged everything I knew about starting a business and technology to build it from the ground up.” He opened a small online storefront and began selling his products directly to customers. His flagship brand is Bevel, an end-to-end shaving system focused on reducing razor bumps and shave irritation.

Walker & Company has evolved from a simple e-commerce outfit to a sophisticated digital marketing brand, thanks in large part to their strategic employment of the web and Google tools. “Google makes it incredibly easy to start a program and scale quickly,” Tristan remarks. They use YouTube videos to build awareness and share customer stories about the community-focused brand. “It's a powerful way to introduce new people to the company and educate them about it.” They also use AdWords, Google's advertising program, to drive web traffic and sales. Google Analytics gives them the in-depth insight to fine-tune their marketing and make the most of their advertising budget, while G Suite tools Gmail, Docs, and Drive give them the logistical muscle of a much larger company. “It allows us as a team to be very nimble and agile,” Tristan explains.

While Walker & Company only sells domestically, their Bevel products can now be found in 14 countries via secondary markets, a powerful indicator of demand. They plan to roll out their second brand this year, with 300 percent annual growth fueling their entrepreneurial fire. But like many great American success stories, Walker & Company's mission was never just about revenue. “We get letters from single moms, who now have a way to teach their sons how to shave,” Tristan shares. He also cofounded Code 2040, a non-profit organization that advocates for black and Hispanic engineers in the workplace. Building a game-changing company from scratch while championing inclusion—that's American beauty.

Eravant (SAGE Millimeter, Inc.)

Location: Torrance, California
Website: www.sagemillimeter.com
34 employees

When her parents first asked if she wanted to join the family business, Wendy Shu was hesitant. “I had grown up around the technology and didn’t really feel like it was for me,” she explains. Founded in 2011, SAGE Millimeter designs and manufactures high-frequency electronic components and subassemblies, which are used by numerous companies to create cutting-edge technology. “We help them push towards 5G wireless and the Internet of Things,” says Wendy. It’s an active market that increasingly requires SAGE to generate leads among a young, digitally savvy audience. Wendy, now Director of Business and Legal Affairs, is leading that charge.

SAGE made a strategic decision to make better use of the web by improving their digital presence and redesigning their website to add e-commerce capabilities. They turned to AdWords, Google’s advertising program, to get the word out about their business. “We knew we needed to go to AdWords if we wanted our website to be a big part of our marketing strategy,” Wendy says. “We now rely on it to attract customers who are new to our technology.” The company uses Google Analytics to optimize their website and improve customers’ online experience. “A key part of our branding strategy is to make it easy for our customers to shop,” she adds. G Suite tools, including Docs, Drive, and Hangouts, keep their growing team collaborative and nimble.

Since 2016, SAGE has nearly doubled in both revenue and staff. They ship their products all over the world—nearly half of their business comes from international markets. And they serve customers across various industries, from leaders in aerospace and R&D to companies like Google. “As a small business, it’s amazing to participate in a business ecosystem alongside such innovators,” Wendy says. Today, Wendy is more than happy with her decision to join the family operation. “I may not be a scientist or an engineer, but I’m working to move technology forward and make a unique contribution to the broader tech community. And that’s very fulfilling.”

PUBLIC Bikes

Location: San Francisco, California
Website: www.publicbikes.com
36 employees

PUBLIC Bikes launched in 2010 to design, manufacture, and sell a collection of elegant city bikes for everyday transportation. “Over the years, we’ve expanded our main product line to include kids’ bikes, city road bikes, and even electric bikes to address different customer riding needs,” says Dan Nguyen-Tan, Founding Executive and Chief Operating Officer. “Our mission is not just to encourage more people to bike, but to support efforts that make our cities and neighborhoods more livable and friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists. We’re big proponents of good urban and public space design that prioritizes people, not just cars.” The company’s unofficial motto is “Ride a bike. Smile more.” As Dan says, “When people ask us why they should bike again or more often, the answer is really simple. ‘You’ll smile more. You’ll be happier. You’ll feel like a kid again.’ Who doesn’t want to feel that way?”

The company primarily sells online, but also operates retail stores in Santa Monica, Seattle, and San Francisco, and sells through a network of national bike shop dealers. A strong web presence is vitally important to support all of PUBLIC’s sales channels. They began using AdWords, Google’s advertising program, soon after the company began. “It’s important for us to constantly get in front of new customers,” Dan says. “One of the best ways to reach new customers is through AdWords.” Google products now represent the majority of PUBLIC’s digital marketing. Google represents almost 48% of PUBLIC’s online traffic, and 53% of the company’s online revenue comes from using Google products. The company also relies on Google Shopping, and constantly uses Google Analytics to track and monitor traffic, conversions, and performance. “We’re a scrappy, entrepreneurial team with a limited marketing budget. We can’t afford to waste dollars, so everything we consistently spend money on, like AdWords, we do so because we are seeing results,” Dan says.

PUBLIC continues to grow sales each year. “The best part of our business is that the rewards are visible to us every day through the customers we see riding our bikes, whether in person or through social media,” Dan says. “On a beautiful weekend day riding through Golden Gate Park, or on my weekday commute, I’ll see dozens of our customers all riding their PUBLIC bikes. It makes our team feel good that our products enrich people’s lives and how they experience their world.”