Google has announced 25 African startups set to benefit from this year’s edition of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.
In a statement on June 20, Google noted that each of the 25 startups will receive $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards and $200,000 in Google cloud credits.
Furthermore, the startups will enjoy support from Google Ads to promote their business and access to one on one mentorship from distinguished experts in the tech industry.
The tech giant picked ten startups from Nigeria, the West African power house, underscoring the country’s dominance in the startup ecosystem.
Selected firms for Google for Startups’ Black Founders Fund
Firms from Nigeria include Akoma Health, Evolve Credit, Fez Delivery, Herconomy, MDaaS Global, My Pocket Counsel, Orda, Periculum, Raenest, and TruQ.
In addition, Google selected Fleetsimplify, Jumba, Tushop, Uzapoint and Zydii as beneficiaries of the fund.
At the same time, South Africa has three startups: Excel At Uni, HealthDart and Zinacare while Ghana has BezoMoney and Talamus Health.
Kenya came second with five startups while South Africa had three representatives on the list.
Notably, women-led startups made 72% of the selected cohort from Africa hence signifying the role played by women in the ecosystem.
In the statement, Google singled out HealthDart, a Nigerian eHealth startup with operations in four African countries, which has made an impact by helping patients access affordable healthcare through an integrated digital pharmacy and telemedicine platform.
Making his comments on the 2023 cohort- Fthalarin Aiyegbusi, the Head of Startups Ecosystem in Africa at Google reiterated Google’s commitment to facilitating the success of startups in Africa.
He noted that startups had a crucial role to play in Africa’s journey to advanced civilization.
“We look forward to working with this group of innovative founders who are using technology to solve some of the most pressing challenges in Africa,” Aiyegusi noted.
“The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund is committed to addressing the stark inequality in VC funding by providing Black founders with the resources and support they need to succeed.”
The 25 selected black founders will join 15 other startups selected from Europe for Google’s third program targeting startups