By Aduragbemi Omiyale
From March 2022 to May 2022, a total of 15 startups in different parts of Africa will undergo intense training facilitated by Google.
This is under the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7. The selected startups are developing solutions in areas such as healthcare, education, fleet management, logistics automation and recruiting.
This seventh class includes 15 tech startups from seven African countries, with Cote D’Ivoire joining for the first time. The class was selected from thousands of applications, with a final selection based on product stage, program alignment and market fit.
Over the next three months, they 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 programs are organised around a virtual bootcamp concept that includes seminars, one-on-one coaching sessions, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
The lucky firms include Clafiya from Nigeria, which connects patients to health practitioners to provide fast and affordable on-demand primary care services in Africa; Fleetsimplify from Kenya, which provides a fleet management platform for shared mobility; and HydroIQ from Kenya, a virtual water network that gives consumers and utilities a single, transparent platform to manage their water consumption and management.
Also chosen were iVerify.ng from Nigeria, a digital identity onboarding platform; LaRuche Health from Côte d’Ivoire providing inclusive apps that simplify care delivery and improve patient access to preventive healthcare services; as well as LyRise from Egypt providing an avenue for companies with an easier, faster way to hire and work with vetted AI and data talents from Africa; and MDaaS Global from Nigeria, which builds and operates modern, technology-enabled diagnostic services in clinically-underserved communities in Nigeria.
Others are Multiplied from South Africa, Nulitics from South Africa, Ridelink from Uganda, SmartClass from Tanzania, Sukhiba from Kenya, Terawork from Nigeria, The Marking App from South Africa, and truQ from Nigeria.
“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,” Folarin Aiyegbusi Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, stated.
The Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 82 startups from 17 African countries over the past four years. Collectively, they have raised $112 million and created 2800 direct jobs. In this time, Google has invested $5 million through a combination of equity-free funding and product credits for Google services.
Adedapo Adesanya