Africa’s tech renaissance is in full swing, and once again, Nigeria is leading the charge. In the just-announced Class 9 of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa, Nigerian startups make up the largest share—six of the 15 ventures selected—underscoring the country’s outsized role in shaping the continent’s innovation landscape.
Launched in 2018, Google’s accelerator program has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries, helping them raise over $300 million and generate more than 3,500 jobs. Beyond the numbers, this is a story of local problem-solving, youth-led innovation, and bold bets on technology’s power to drive inclusive growth.
For Class 9, selected from nearly 1,500 applications, Google chose startups from Nigeria (6), Kenya (2), Rwanda (2), Ghana (2) and one each from Ethiopia, Senegal, and South Africa. These companies span critical sectors like fintech, agritech, healthtech, logistics, and compliance—and most are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to power their solutions.
Nigeria’s AI-Driven Startups: Solving for Scale
Representing 40% of the cohort, Nigeria’s six startups highlight the diversity and maturity of its startup ecosystem:
- E-doc Online – Simplifies compliance and credit checks by analyzing real-time banking data, speeding up customer onboarding for financial institutions.
- GoNomad – Helps freelancers and solopreneurs create global business entities and accept cross-border payments like locals.
- Middleman – An intelligent trade platform that eases sourcing and payments for African businesses importing from China.
- Myltura – Uses AI to provide remote health consultations, lab test access, and seamless digital records across the healthcare chain.
- Pastel – Offers AI-powered fraud detection and anti-money laundering solutions to financial service providers across Africa.
- Scandium – An AI Quality Assurance suite for automating software testing and improving release cycles.
Why This Matters
These startups are not building for headlines—they’re solving fundamental problems for businesses and consumers. Whether it’s enabling remote healthcare in rural areas or streamlining global payments for local entrepreneurs, these founders are focused on impact, scale, and sustainability.
Their work will be supported through an intensive three-month hybrid program, running from June 23 to August 22, 2025. Benefits include:
- Mentorship from Google engineers, founders, and industry experts
- Technical training in AI, machine learning, product strategy, and leadership
- Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits
- Investor and partner exposure to accelerate funding and global growth
Nigeria’s dominance in the class sits alongside equally exciting innovations from Kenya (2) – Shamba Records and Apexloads, Rwanda (2) – Afrikabal and Smartel Agri Tech, Ghana (2) – Regulon and Zerone Analytiqs, TOLBI (Senegal), YeneHealth (Ethiopia) and Rapid Human AI (South Africa).
These startups are tackling everything from climate-resilient farming to medication access and regulatory compliance—proving that Africa’s innovation surge is deep, wide, and transformative.
As Nigerian startups continue to lead by example, the message is clear: Africa doesn’t need to wait for global solutions. It’s already building them.
