Fifteen startups from eight African countries have been selected for the inaugural cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator for African female-led startups.
The programme is focused on helping female entrepreneurs in eight African countries that are creating innovative solutions to improve livelihoods in their communities. It aims to bridge the gap and empower women to succeed in their respective fields.
The Hustle Academy is a bootcamp-style training programme designed to help entrepreneurs increase revenue, position themselves for investment, and build sustainable businesses for the future.
As part of its International Women’s Day celebrations, Google plans to host six women-focused cohorts of the Hustle Academy programme in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa throughout the month of March. Women entrepreneurs in these countries are invited to apply to join these cohorts at g.co/hustleacademy.
Google celebrates inspiring women in Africa’s technology sector through its #WomeninIT social media series. The series features the stories of six inspiring women who are breaking barriers and making an impact in technology, business, entrepreneurship, innovation, and start-ups on the continent.
The head of the startup ecosystem: Africa, Folarin Aiayegbusi, said, “We are thrilled to announce the selected start-ups for the inaugural class of our Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort. These women are tackling some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, and we’re excited to support them as they build the future.”
The 15 start-ups selected for the programme are from eight African countries and are creating innovative solutions that improve livelihoods in their communities.
According to Dorothy Ooko, head of communications at Google Africa, “At Google, we are committed to providing women entrepreneurs in Africa with access to funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Our programmes aim to bridge the gap and empower women to succeed in their respective fields.”
This initiative is expected to have a significant impact on the African tech ecosystem and empower women entrepreneurs who are often underrepresented in the sector. These women have the potential to create innovative solutions that can drive economic growth and improve livelihoods in their communities.
The 15 African female-led startups selected for Google for Startups Accelerator
Fifteen startups from eight African countries—Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Cameroon and Congo—have been selected for the inaugural cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator for African female-led startups.
Kenya
- eWaka: A ridesharing platform offering on-demand electric micro-mobility for personal use and sustainable logistics for delivery businesses.
- Farmer Lifeline: A technological solution that places smallholder farmers ahead of crop pests and crop diseases to increase crop yield.
- Gobeba: A digital retail platform for distributing bulky household essentials to urban households in growing African cities.
- MosMos: A save-to-buy platform for Africa.
- Zydii: A premier localised digital training solution which is engaging and accessible to the African workforce, leading to transformative growth for businesses.
Nigeria
- Alajo App: A digital piggy bank for the underbanked and non-smartphone users in Africa; building an escrowed banking system between Agents and Users using USSD and SMS, helping people save money every day.
- Maxibuy: A cooperative inventory procurement and financial services platform for bulk buying merchants of consumer goods in Nigeria, enabling them to scale their businesses and gain the benefits of economies of scale.
- Tyms Africa: Offers instant microcredit for microenterprises in Africa, powered by ROSCA.
Rwanda
- Hepta Pay: A product that interfaces card payments with mobile money accounts, easing diaspora inflows.
- Smart Ikigega: Eliminating post-harvest loss for farmers and providing access to financial services digitally.
South Africa
- Jem HR: A software that plugs into any HR and payroll system, making it easy for employers to send payslips, manage leave requests, process salary advances and communicate with thousands of frontline employees using WhatsApp.
Ghana
- Kola Market: A full-stack B2B e-Commerce platform providing Guaranteed Sales, Smart Inventory Recommendations, and Product Financing to SMEs in Africa.
Tanzania
- Mipango: A personal finance and robo-advisory app for women and the mass market.
Cameroon
- Suitch: Provides digital financial services to underbanked and non-banked populations to foster their growth.
Congo
- Afriwell Health: Connects patients in Congo with healthcare professionals globally in a quick and efficient way.
