Google has selected a trio of African tech startups to take part in the upcoming fifth class of the Google launchpad accelerator program.
A South African and two Nigerian tech startups were chosen to take part in the six-month, equity-free mentorship program, according to ITNewsAfrica.
Google’s Launchpad Accelerator aims to help startups by leveraging the company’s latest technologies in an effort to scale their businesses through mentoring.
A total of 24 startups from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America have been selected to take part in the program, which begins at the end of January 2018 in San Francisco.
Africa is represented by three startups, with two from Nigeria and one company from South Africa.
The Nigerian startups selected by Google include fintech startup Paylater and electronic medical records startup Helium Health. The sole South African selection is Aerobotics, a data analytics platform that assists farmers with optimization of yields and cost-reduction through aerial data, according to Ventureburn.
Commenting on the diversity of startups set to take part in next year’s program, Roy Glasberg, global lead for the Google Developers Launchpad, was excited about the African companies involved.
“This includes a diverse group of startups from all over the world looking to tackle everything from streamlining medical records in Africa to improving breast cancer screenings,” said Glasberg, according to Google.
In September, Google launched a mentorship program that is specifically focused on supporting African tech entrepreneurs, with a new Google Launchpad space now available in Nigeria.
Google Developers Launchpad Africa, which will operate from a new Google Launchpad Space in Lagos, is a mentorship program that aims to provide tech startups based in Africa with the tools to build sustainable businesses, according to IOL.
The Google Launchpad Space in Nigeria is the first onsite location for the program outside of the U.S.
The Google Developers Launchpad Africa program is currently accepting applications for the first Launchpad Africa class, set for Nigeria in early 2018, according to Google.
Applications are open to tech startups in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, as long as these startups have already raised seed funding.
African startups involved in this three-month mentorship program will receive over $3 million in equity-free support, working space, travel, public relations support, and access to tech and business experts from Google, Silicon Valley, and Africa over the next three years.
