Google on Tuesday announced that 60 African tech startups have been shortlisted to receive funding from its $4 million Black Founders Fund (BFF). Expectedly, Nigerian startups dominated the list accounting for 23 out of the 60 selected across Africa.
According to Google, the selected startups will receive $100,000 in non-dilutive cash awards, paired with up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credits per startup. The startups will also receive ongoing hands-on business and technical mentorship from Google’s network of mentors and facilitators, learning the best practices on a range of topics from artificial intelligence, organizational culture, people management, and growth strategies.
Here is a list of the 23 startups selected from Nigeria:
1. Bookings Africa: Bookings Africa enables Africa’s gig workforce to digitize and monetize their skill by connecting clients efficiently and transparently to skilled talent across Africa.
2. Clafiya: Clafiya connects individuals, families, and businesses to health practitioners – enabling access to convenient, quality, and affordable, on-demand primary care from their mobile phones
3. Eden Life: Eden Life provides an operating system for receiving and rendering essential services in Africa – focused on offering food, cleaning, laundry, and beauty services to our customers.
4. Estate Intel: Estate Intel provides reliable data to businesses that are investing or operating in the African real estate space.
5. Flex Finance: Flex Finance helps businesses in Africa manage approval workflow, access credit, issue corporate cards to employees and make disbursements all from one platform.
6. Gamr: Gamr is an eSports tournament aggregation platform, helping African gamers discover tournaments they can play and get rewarded.
7. Haul 247: Haul247 is a logistics platform that connects manufacturing companies and farmers with trucks and warehouses.
8. Healthtracka: Healthtracka is a platform that allows users to access to on-demand healthcare services in the comfort of their homes.
9 HerVest: HerVest offers a highly secured, women-focused financial platform that enables women to participate in key financial services, with a focus on female farmers
10. Kyshi: Kyshi provides multi-currency accounts and remittance services to and from Africa.
11. LifeBank: LifeBank leverages technology to provide value in multiple segments (production, marketplace and distribution) of the healthcare supply chain such as blood, oxygen and medical supplies.
12. Norebase: Norebase provides a single digital platform and technology tools for entrepreneurs and businesses to start, scale, and operate in any African country and the United States.
13. OneHealth: OneHealth is an online pharmacy & healthcare platform that provides access to medicines, healthcare information, and solutions (Laboratory services & Doctors) to the last mile patient.
14. Pivo: Pivo is a credit focused digital bank for trade, supporting businesses across Africa.
15. QShop: QShop is an easy to use DIY e-commerce platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses scale and sell better online.
16. Scrapays: Scrapays is creating an operating system infrastructure for the recycling value chain in developing nations.
17. Shiip: Shiip leverages web, mobile and API technology to connect individuals & businesses to delivery services in and out of Africa.
18. Spleet: Spleet leverages a ‘Rent Now, Pay Late’ model to drive our mission to ensure that every African can afford a space to live in.
19. Stears: Stears is a financial intelligence company providing subscription-based content & data to global professionals. Our mission is to build the world’s most trusted provider of African data.
20. Terawork: Terawork is an online freelance marketplace focused on matching freelancers to service buyers.
21. Topset Education: Topset Education is an edtech platform that makes quality education accessible to Africans everywhere
22. Wellahealth: Wellahealth provides technology and financial tools to healthcare providers and patients to enable affordability and accessibility of healthcare in emerging markets.
23. Awabah: Awabah is a digital pensions platform for Africa’s workforce.
Google introduced the startups Black Founders Fund in Africa in 2021. Since then, the company says it has supported 50 startups from nine African countries that have gone on to raise over $87 million and created 518 jobs. The 60 startups shortlisted for the 2022 cohort were selected from 10 African countries.
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