Google has announced the selection of four Nigerian startups for the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme.
The four selected startups are Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta and Termii.
Google disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the Nigerian firms emerged from a highly competitive pool of nearly 2,600 applications and were named among a final list of 15 startups selected across Africa.
Google said the less than 1% acceptance rate reflects the growing technical capacity and resilience within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
What Google is saying
According to the tech giant, the selected startups are deploying artificial intelligence to solve key business and financial challenges across the continent.
- Bani operates a cross-border payments infrastructure platform designed to eliminate settlement delays for African businesses trading globally.
- MasteryHive AI provides an AI-driven platform that automates transaction reconciliation, fraud detection and anti-money laundering monitoring.
- Regxta combines alternative data-based credit scoring with a hybrid digital agent model to deliver financial services to unbanked micro businesses.
- Termii offers an AI powered communications infrastructure platform focused on reliable financial messaging for banks and fintech companies.
Google noted that African startups continue to tackle structural gaps in financial inclusion, healthcare and supply chains through advanced technology solutions.
More insights
The company added that Africa’s venture capital ecosystem demonstrated resilience in 2025, attracting $3.9 billion in funding, but noted that scaling deep tech businesses still requires stronger technical infrastructure, cloud resources and strategic mentorship.
Gbolade Emmanuel, Chief Executive Officer of Termii, said participation in the accelerator would help the company expand its AI strategy and global reach.
- “At Termii, we’re building AI powered infrastructure that ensures financial transactions don’t fail, from login PINs to payment OTPs and fraud alerts,” Emmanuel said.
- “The Google Startup Accelerator is helping us accelerate our AI roadmap and scale globally, and even in the first week, access to technical support and insights has been incredibly valuable for our next phase of growth,” he added.
Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google, said the company remains committed to supporting founders building impactful solutions across the continent.
- “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these exceptional founders into Class 10,” Aiyegbusi said.
- “African startups are driving essential economic growth and social development. Our role is to serve as a supportive partner, providing these developers and founders with the technical infrastructure, mentorship, and global network they need to scale their solutions and amplify their real-world impact,” he added.
The hybrid accelerator programme will run from April 13 to June 19, 2026, and will provide the selected startups with mentorship, technical guidance and workshops focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
What you should know
Since its launch in 2018, Google said the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has supported 106 startups from 17 African countries, helping them raise more than $263 million collectively and create over 2,800 jobs.
Last year, six Nigerian startups were selected for cohort 9 of the Google for Startups Accelerator programme.
The six startups were among the 15 AI-driven ventures selected from across Africa
The cohort 9 featured startups from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, all using artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle pressing challenges across sectors like fintech, healthtech, logistics, and agritech.
