Google Selects 15 African Startups for 2025 Accelerator Program, Six from Nigeria

Coin WorldTuesday, Jun 24, 2025 2:26 pm ET
2min read

Google has unveiled 15 tech startups for its 2025

for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 program, with six Nigerian platforms among the selected innovators. The chosen cohort from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa reflects the growing influence of artificial intelligence in solving Africa’s pressing challenges across sectors such as finance, healthcare, logistics, and enterprise tools.

The announcement follows a competitive application cycle that attracted nearly 1,500 entries from across the continent. Google confirmed that the selected companies will receive mentorship, product support, and access to cloud infrastructure worth up to $350,000, along with business guidance focused on AI deployment and growth. The accelerator will run from June 23 to August 22, during which Google will offer technical support from its engineers and connect the startups to its global network of partners and investors.

The six Nigerian startups form the largest national representation in the 2025 Class 9 cohort. They include E-doc Online, which simplifies compliance and credit checks by analyzing real-time banking data, enabling faster onboarding and smarter lending decisions. GoNomad enables businesses to start and run global entities and solopreneurs to professionally invoice and get paid globally like a local. Middleman is an intelligent sourcing and payment platform helping African businesses import and pay for goods from China faster, safer, and cheaper. Myltura is an AI-powered digital health platform enabling remote care, test access, and seamless health data management in Africa. Pastel offers Enterprise AI solutions, including AI-based fraud detection and anti-money laundering solutions to financial institutions in Africa. Scandium is an AI Quality Assurance suite that helps teams ship bug-free software faster with end-to-end test automation and test ops tooling.

Google launched the Africa Accelerator program in 2018. Since then, it has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries. The alumni have collectively raised over $300 million and created more than 3,500 jobs. Google stated that its direct contributions totaled $5 million in non-equity funding and credits. The company’s Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, Folarin Aiyegbusi, said AI would transform African technology when built through the local context. He noted that the accelerator exists to scale startups that understand these contexts and challenges.

“African startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across the continent, and their work with AI is truly transformative.” – Folarin Aiyegbusi

Other startups in the 2025 Class 9 cohort include AFRIKABAL (Rwanda), Apexloads (Kenya), Rapid Human AI, Regulon (Ghana), Shamba Records (Kenya), Smartel Agri Tech (Rwanda), TOLBI (Senegal), YeneHealth (Ethiopia), and Zerone Analytiqs (Ghana). Some focus on logistics, health services, agriculture, and compliance automation, using AI as a core enabler.

The inclusion of these six Nigerian startups in the 2025 cohort underscores the growing importance of AI in driving economic growth and development in the region. By providing these startups with access to Google's resources, expertise, and network, the tech giant aims to accelerate their growth and impact. This support is part of a broader effort to nurture a vibrant ecosystem of AI-driven innovation in Africa, positioning the continent as a hub for technological advancement.

The 2025 cohort is part of Google's ongoing commitment to supporting startups in Africa. The program provides selected companies with mentorship, funding, and access to Google's extensive network of industry experts and investors. This support is crucial for startups looking to scale their operations and make a significant impact in their respective sectors. The Nigerian startups, in particular, are expected to benefit from this program by gaining the necessary tools and resources to develop cutting-edge AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of the Nigerian market.

The selection of these startups also highlights the potential of Nigeria as a leader in AI innovation. With a growing pool of talented entrepreneurs and a supportive ecosystem, Nigeria is well-positioned to become a key player in the global AI landscape. The support from Google is expected to further catalyze this growth, driving innovation and creating new opportunities for economic development.