Business Post Contributor
By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
American multinational technology giant, Google, has opened the window for applications to startups in 17 African countries for its forthcoming Google for Startups Accelerator Africa’s (GFSAA) virtual programme.
The countries to participate in the GFSAA bootcamp include Nigeria, Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The virtual event, which will run every month from March to May 2022, will see that businesses with successful applications benefit from experts and mentors on the GFSAA week-long virtual boot camps.
his is coming about five months after the digital king reiterated its commitment to growing Africa’s startup ecosystem with $6 million in grants and funding for the Black Founders Fund (BFF) Africa program and to the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The opening for application for the virtual program was made known by the Head Lead, Google’s Developer and Startup Ecosystem Efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Andy Volk, in a statement released in Lagos.
“We are honoured to have yet another opportunity to connect with African innovators and empower them through the seventh Class of the GFSAA.
“We know that, as with previous Classes, we are on the move to uncover some outstanding technology-led solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing challenges, developed by Africans themselves,” Mr Volk said.
According to him, access to equity-free support, alongside the best of Google’s networks, advanced technology will be granted to the successful early-growth stage startup applicants (from seed to Series A) of the Bootcamp.
Highlighting the impact of the event which started in 2017, he noted that 82 start-ups from 17 African countries had participated and successfully raised more than $117 million in funding and created more than 2,800 employment opportunities on the continent.
All startups in the selected countries who are interested are expected to submit their applications at g.co/AcceleratorAfrica.
