Google Launches USD 6 Mn Funding Program To Support African Startups

Google has unveiled three new programs totaling USD 6 Mn that would support women, young entrepreneurs, and innovators in at least 13 African countries. In the first program, Google will give the Tony Elumelu Foundation USD 3 Mn to help women-owned start-ups on the continent scale up their ideas. According to Google, the fund will provide entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and coaching to at least 5,000 women and seed money in the form of one-time cash grants to 500 African women aspiring entrepreneurs in Kenya, Nigeria, and other Francophone nations giant.

In addition, Google has launched the Black Founders Fund for Africa (BFF Africa), a USD 3 Mn fund that will assist 50 promising start-ups in Kenya, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. BFF Africa also seeks to provide monetary rewards and hands-on help to African black-led start-ups without requiring them to give up any equity.

In its third project, Google for Start-ups Accelerator Africa class 6, the tech giant has invited applications for a three-month online program that will begin in June 2021 and include virtual training boot camps, mentorship, and Google product support.