Google opens applications for African startup accelerator initiative

Published 04 Nov,2021 via BizWatchNigeria - Google has announced the opening of applications for its three-month virtual accelerator programme for start-ups in Nigeria and 16 other countries.

The global technology company said the programme is open to start-ups in Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

It added that successful early-growth stage start-up applicants (from seed to Series A) will gain access to equity-free support alongside the best of Google’s networks, advanced technology, experts and mentors through Google for Startups Accelerator Africa’s (GFSAA) week-long virtual boot camps every month from March to May 2022.

This news comes five months after Google renewed its commitment to growing Africa’s startup ecosystem through $6 million in grants and funding for the Black Founders Fund (BFF) Africa programme and to the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

“We are honoured to have yet another opportunity to connect with African innovators and empower them through the seventh Class of GFSAA,” Andy Volk, who leads Google’s developer and startup ecosystem efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa, said.

“We know that, as with previous Classes, we are on the cusp of uncovering some outstanding technology-led solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing challenges, developed by Africans themselves.”

One such solution came from Ndovu, a Class 6 alumnus dedicated to empowering Africans to develop wealth by promoting financial literacy and providing tools to aid with diversifying financial risks, strengthening security, and increasing financial resilience.

Launched in 2017, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme is designed to help startups scale their solutions across the continent.

To date, 82 startups from 17 African countries have participated and successfully raised more than US$117 million in funding and created more than 2,800 jobs on the continent.

Interested startups may submit their applications at g.co/AcceleratorAfrica.

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