23 Nigerian startups have been selected among the 60 candidates for the second cohort of Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for Africa.
Speaking at the unveiling of the cohorts yesterday in Abuja, Google’s Head of Startup Ecosystem, Folarin Aiyegbusi, said each of the selected startups will receive support in the form of a 6-month training programme that includes access to a network of mentors to assist in tackling challenges that are unique to them.
Folarin, while stating that the participants will receive a total of $4million in funding and support to enable them to scale up their ongoing work, said they will also be part of tailored workshops, support networks and community-building sessions.
“The 60 grantees will also get non-dilutive awards of between $50,000 and $100,000 and up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credit.”
He added that the grantees are made up of 50 per cent women-led businesses that specialise in sectors like fintech; healthcare, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, education, hospitality and smart cities.
“The top five countries with the most startups selected for the program are Nigeria with twenty-three grantees, Kenya with twelve grantees, Rwanda with six grantees, South Africa with five grantees and Uganda with four grantees. Botswana and Senegal have one selected startup each, Cameroon and Ghana both have three grantees each while Ethiopia has two selected grantees.”
Daily Trust
