By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Google has announced that applications
remain open for the 2026 edition of the Google
for Startups Accelerator: Africa, a programme designed to support
growth-stage startups across Sub-Saharan Africa developing solutions using
artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The initiative, highlighted by Olumide Balogun, Director for West Africa at
Google, aims to identify startups that are building scalable solutions to
address critical challenges across sectors on the continent.
Selected startups will receive technical support from
Google engineers, mentorship from Google teams and access to tools and
infrastructure designed to help companies scale their products and operations.
The accelerator programme targets
startups that have progressed beyond the minimum viable product stage and are
demonstrating growth potential. According to Google, the programme is intended
to strengthen Africa’s innovation ecosystem by providing founders with the
technical expertise and resources needed to build impactful solutions.
Among startups highlighted as an
example of innovation within the ecosystem is Clafiya,
founded by Jennie Nwokoye, which is
applying geospatial data and artificial intelligence to improve primary
healthcare logistics and service delivery.
Google said the accelerator programme
seeks to support more startups across Africa that are leveraging advanced
technologies to address social and economic challenges.
Applications
for the 2026 cohort remain open until March 18.
