Google has announced the participants in Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7, with the selected startups set to receive access to mentorship and expert advice over the course of the three-month programme.
Announced in 2017, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa is a three-month programme connecting early-stage African tech startups with the best of Google’s products, people and advanced technology.
The seventh class includes 15 tech startups from seven African countries, and was selected from thousands of applications, with the final selection based on product stage, programme alignment and market fit.
Five of the participants are Nigerian, namely Clafiya, which connects patients to health practitioners on-demand; iVerify.ng, a digital identity onboarding platform; MDaaS Global, which builds and operates modern, technology-enabled diagnostic services; Terawork, a pan-African online freelance marketplace; and truQ, a tech-enabled logistics platform.
South Africa has three representatives, in the shape of data-driven design platform Multiplied, mixed reality software development startup Nulitics, and ed-tech solution The Marking App, as does Kenya, which is represented by fleet management platform Fleetsimplify, virtual water network HydroIQ, and decentralised community-based commerce platform Sukhiba.
The other selected startups are Tanzanian ed-tech startup SmartClass, Egyptian recruitment platform LyRise, Ugandan cargo mobility platform Ridelink, and LaRuche Health, an inclusive healthcare app from Ivory Coast, which is represented within the accelerator for the first time.
Over the next three months, these startups will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning best practices on a range of topics including artificial intelligence, big data, organisational culture, growth strategies and more. Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programmes are organised around a virtual bootcamp concept that includes seminars, one-on-one coaching sessions, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Bootcamps will take place in March, April and May.
“We’re thrilled to be starting off our seventh cohort with such a diverse and inspiring group of companies who are harnessing technology to tackle the problems that many people on the continent face every day. Startups in Africa are solving some of the region’s most pressing issues -from employment to logistics, banking, healthcare, and education. This is a journey that we’re happy to be on,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, head of startup ecosystem for Africa at Google.
The Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has supported 82 startups from 17 African countries over the past four years. Collectively, they have raised US$112 million and created 2,800 direct jobs. In this time, Google has invested US$5 million through a combination of equity-free funding and product credits for Google services.
