Google helps grow Africa start-ups

Google has renewed its commitment to growing Africa’s start-up ecosystem with the announcement of a new Google for Start-ups Accelerator Africa class, the launch and opening of applications for a new $3 million (about R42.81m) Black Founders Fund (BFF) Africa programme, and a Google.org-backed $3m grant to the Tony Elumelu Foundation to support female entrepreneurs on the continent.

Applications for GFSA Africa opened earlier this year, paving the way for 15 start-ups from across the continent to join the sixth class of the programme, which started yesterday.

BFF, which is part of the company’s racial equity commitments announced in June last year, would provide cash awards and hands-on support to 50 black-led start-ups in Africa, and does not require founders to give up any equity in exchange for funding.

Google will work with the CoCreation Hub, a Google for Start-ups partner and leading tech community hub, with a presence in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, to distribute the funding to the selected companies across Africa.

Applications are open for access to funding, as well as technical and business support, for 50 early-stage startups across the continent this year.

start-ups in Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe that meet the eligibility criteria. Applications will close on July 7.

Google.org’s $3m grant to the Tony Elumelu Foundation would go towards providing entrepreneurship training, mentorship and coaching to at least 5 000 women with low digital skills who come from rural areas and operate in an informal sector.

Seed capital in the form of onetime cash grants would also be provided to 500 African women aspiring entrepreneurs in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and select Francophone countries.