Five Kenyan startups were selected to be part of the inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Programme.
The 12-week program aims at empowering and supporting women founders across the continent by providing adequate and relevant resources and opportunities.
The Kenyan startups that made the cut included eWaka, Farmer Lifeline, MosMos, Gobeba, and Zydii. They are among the 15 startups selected in Africa for the project.
eWaka is a platform for commuter and commercial micro-mobility fleets, while Farmer Lifeline offers agricultural solutions to farmers.
On the other hand, MosMos allows Kenyans to save and buy goods in installments while GoBeba delivers goods to clients across the country.
Finally, Zydii provides businesses with an affordable, easy way to empower their teams with the skills to succeed.
“We are thrilled to announce the selected startups for the inaugural class of our Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort. These women are tackling some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, and we’re excited to support them as they build the future,” stated Folarin Aiayegbusi, the head of the startup ecosystem for Africa at Google.
According to Aiayegbusi, investing in women founders across Africa is critical for economic empowerment that will create jobs for the growing African youth population.
He added that elevating the participation and leadership of women in the entrepreneurship ecosystem is crucial for promoting gender equality and driving economic growth in Africa.
Aiayegbusi emphasised that Google was set on investing in women-led startups to achieve gender equality and economic growth in Africa.
Meanwhile, this program will include one boot camp per month. Additionally, selected participants will receive access to Google's products, mentoring from industry experts, resources, tools, and technology.
Furthermore, they will gain networking opportunities with investors to support the growth of their startups.
When Google called for applications in February 2023, all applicants were required to have a working product or service, a viable business model, and a working team.
From Nigeria, Alajo App, Maxibuy, and Tyms Africa were selected for the project while in Rwanda, Hepta Pay and Smart Ikigega will join the program.
Others entrants are Afriwell Health (Congo), Jenn HR (South Africa), Mipango (Tanzania), Suitch (Cameroon), and Kola Market (Ghana).
