Google Open Seventh Startup Accelerator Programme For African Innovators

Google has opened its seventh startup Accelerator Programme for African innovators.

Glamtush reports that applications for Google’s three-month virtual accelerator programme are now open to startups located in Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Successful early-growth stage startup 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. 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,” says Andy Volk who leads Google’s developer and startup ecosystem efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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. Ndovu, which has a 53% female client base, also has a gender-balanced staff comprising 50% female staff complement and 50% female board members.

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.