Driving Innovation Across the Continent

Fifteen promising tech ventures focused on artificial intelligence (AI) have been selected to join Google’s Startup Accelerator Africa program. This marks the tenth cohort of the initiative, which aims to support early-stage companies using AI to solve critical challenges in African markets.

Since its launch in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has backed over 100 startups from across 17 countries. The program received nearly 2,600 applications this year, highlighting the growing interest and innovation within the African AI ecosystem.

The selected ventures are tackling issues in sectors like fintech, agri-tech, e-health, mobility, and SaaS. They will participate in a three-month hybrid program offering mentorship, technical workshops, and access to Google’s resources focused on AI and cloud technologies.

Key Startups Making Waves:

• Nigeria: Bani (cross-border payments), MasteryHive AI (transaction reconciliation & fraud detection), Regxta (credit scoring for micro businesses), Termii (reliable financial messaging)
• Kenya: Coamana (digitizing food markets), Duck (retail data intelligence), ReportsAI (impact reporting), VunaPay (fintech infrastructure for farmers)
• South Africa: Loop (mobility & payments platform), Vambo AI (multilingual AI solutions)
• Angola: ANDA Africa (moto-taxi financing & electrification)
• Uganda: Emaisha Pay (payment solutions for agro-traders)
• Senegal: Maad (omnichannel market expansion)
• Ivory Coast: Meditect (pharmacy digitization)
• Tanzania: Safiri (transportation infrastructure)

“This is bigger than Loop,” said Imtiyaaz Riley, CEO of mobility startup Loop. “We started this journey on the Cape Flats, building with communities often overlooked by traditional systems. Being selected by Google shows that globally relevant innovation can come from anywhere.”

The Google for Startups Accelerator Africa represents a significant investment in the continent’s tech ecosystem, providing crucial support to help these AI-driven ventures scale their impact and access follow-on funding.