Hudu, an Urbandale-based startup providing a marketplace to list and find odd jobs, has received a second $250,000 award from the Google Cloud Startup program, which provides resources like technical training, mentoring and AI-specific benefits to help startups scale. Hudu received its first award from the program in 2023, and is one of few companies to receive the grant twice, according to a news release. “This funding will enable us to further enhance our platform, expand our reach and continue to empower gig workers and consumers alike,” Hudu founder and CEO Derreck Stratton said in the release. Hudu plans to integrate Google’s Gemini AI into its platform to enhance existing AI-driven features, according to the news release. Hudu aims to streamline sourcing and completion of odd jobs with the technology by creating more detailed project listings and more precise bids from gig workers.
