Nigerian startups dominate 2022 Google Black Founders Fund Africa

Twenty-three (23) out of the 60 African startups selected for the 2022 Google Black Founders Fund for Africa are Nigerian startups.

Although Nigerian startups dominated the list as they did in 2021, it’s less than the 26 startups that were selected (out of 50 African startups) last year.

Earlier in June, Google selected 40 startups for its Black Founders Fund in Europe. Twelve out of the selected startups are founded by Nigerians.

Google invested $3 million into 50 Black-led startups in Africa through the fund in 2021. “In 2022, we are taking our support a notch higher by investing $4 million into 60 Black-led startups. Since 2021, our startups have gone on to raise $87 million in follow-on funding and have hired 500+ more staff,” Google stated.https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cFHeR/2/#amp=1

Each selected startup will be provided with $100K in capital (equity-free), an additional $200K in Google Cloud Credits, and access to the best of Google—people, products, and practices.

Equity-free means there is no shareholding or financial counterpart of any kind. Google won’t be part of your startup’s corporate structure or have any kind of financial return on the investment.

“The startups will also receive ongoing hands-on business and technical mentorship from Google’s network of mentors and facilitators, learning the best practices on a range of topics from artificial intelligence, organizational culture, people management, to growth strategies and more,” Folarin Aiyegbusi, Google’s Head of Startup Ecosystem in Africa said in a statement seen by Benjamindada.com.

Meet the recipients of the 2022 Google Black Founders Fund for Africa

The 2022 grantees are made up of 50% women-led startups (an improvement from the 40% last year). Behind Nigeria on this year’s list is Kenya with 12 startups, followed by Rwanda with six recipients. Five of the selected startups are from South Africa, and four from Uganda, Ghana and Cameroon have three startups each on the list.

Two Ethiopian startups made the list. Senegal and Botswana have one startup each as recipient of the fund this year. Per sector, startups operating in fintech, healthtech and logistics dominated the list.

Nigeria

• Awabah (Fintech): Awabah is a digital pension platform for Africa’s workforce.
• Bookings Africa: Bookings Africa enables Africa’s gig workforce to digitize and monetize their skill by connecting clients efficiently and transparently to skilled talent across Africa.
• Clafiya (Healthtech): Clafiya connects individuals, families, and businesses to health practitioners – enabling access to convenient, quality, and affordable, on-demand primary care from their mobile phones.
• EdenLife: Eden Life provides an operating system for receiving and rendering essential services in Africa – focused on offering food, cleaning, laundry, and beauty services to our customers.
• Estate Intel (Proptech): Estate Intel provides reliable data to businesses that are investing or operating in the African real estate space.
• Flex Finance (Fintech): Flex Finance helps businesses in Africa manage approval workflow, access credit, issue corporate cards to employees and make disbursements all from one platform.
• Gamr (Gaming): Gamr is an eSports tournament aggregation platform, helping African gamers discover tournaments they can play and get rewarded
• Haul247 (Logistics): Haul247 is a logistics platform that connects manufacturing companies and farmers with trucks and warehouses.
• Healthtracka (Healthtech): Founded in May 2021 by Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson (CEO) and Victor Amusan (Head of Product), Healthtracka is a platform that allows users to access on-demand healthcare services in the comfort of their homes. Recently, the company raised $1.5 million in a seed round led by Hustle Fund and Ingressive Capital.

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• Hervest (Fintech): HerVest offers a highly secured, women-focused financial platform that enables women to participate in key financial services, with a focus on female farmers.
• Kyshi (Fintech): Kyshi provides multi-currency accounts and remittance services to and from Africa.
• LifeBank (HealthTech): LifeBank leverages technology to provide value in multiple segments (production, marketplace and distribution) of the healthcare supply chain such as blood, oxygen and medical supplies.
• Norebase: Launched in September 2021 by Tola Onayemi, Norebase provides a single digital platform and technology tools for entrepreneurs and businesses to start, scale, and operate in any African country and the United States. In May, Norebase secured a $1 million pre-seed to enable businesses to start, scale and operate across Africa and the United States of America.
• One Health (HealthTech): OneHealth is an online pharmacy & healthcare platform that provides access to medicines, healthcare information, and solutions (Laboratory services & Doctors) to the last mile patient.
• Pivo Africa (Fintech): Founded by Ijeoma Akwiwu and Nkiru Amadi-Emina in 2021, Pivo Technologies is Lagos-based credit-focused digital bank for trade, supporting businesses across Africa. The company was selected by Y Combinator for the Summer 2022 batch of the accelerator. Pivo is also one of the 16 African tech startups backed by the ODX accelerator.
• QShop (e-Commerce): QShop is an easy-to-use DIY e-commerce platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses scale and sell better online.
• Scrapays (Clean Energy): Scrapays is creating an operating system infrastructure for the recycling value chain in developing nations.
• Shiip (Logistics): Shiip leverages web, mobile and API technology to connect individuals & businesses to delivery services in and out of Africa.
• Spleet (Fintech): Spleet leverages a ‘Rent Now, Pay Late’ model to drive our mission to ensure that every African can afford a space to live in.
• Stears (Media): Stears is a financial intelligence company providing subscription-based content & data to global professionals.
• TerraWork (Gig Economy): TERAWORK is an online freelance marketplace focused on matching freelancers to service buyers.
• Topset (Edtech): Topset Education is an edtech platform that makes quality education accessible to Africans everywhere.
• Wella Health (HealthTech): Wellahealth provides technology and financial tools to healthcare providers and patients to enable the affordability and accessibility of healthcare in emerging markets.

Kenya

• Ajua (Social commerce): Ajua is an end-to-end operating system for SMEs to build a credible online presence, get feedback on their business and manage the relationship with their customers
• Buupass (Logistics): BuuPass is a travel startup – building digital rails for Africa’s intercity transport industry and supporting bus, train & flight transportation.
• DohYangu (Fintech): DohYangu enables end consumers in Africa to shop FMCG products & get cashback rewards at various retail stores, saving up to 25%.
• Flexpay (Fintech): FlexPay are a merchant-embedded digital savings platform that rewards customers for saving up for purchases – a save now buy later (SNBL) solution at checkout
• Keep It Cool (Agritech): Keep IT Cool is a fast-growing social enterprise that leverages technology to strengthen the African aquaculture and poultry Value Chain through cold chain and storage.
• Leja (Fintech): Leja is an Android/USSD application enabling African micro-entrepreneurs to digitize all their business transactions and manage all their finance in one place.
• Solutech (Marketing): Solutech helps field sales teams sell more and efficiently by leveraging powerful insights while providing FMCG companies with real-time data for day-to-day and strategic decision-making.
• Synnefa (Agritech): Synnefa is building Africa’s first mini-farm ERP connected to IoT sensors that provide soil data which we combine with farmer activity data to create a farmer experience score that we pass on to financial partners to use on their credit score.
• TIBU Health (Healthtech): TIBU Health is an omnichannel HealthTech company connecting patients to healthcare services and professionals at a time and location of their choosing.
• TopUp Mama (Food logistics and fintech): TopUp Mama enables restaurants in Africa to purchase food supplies, access financial services and manage their business.
• Zanifu (Fintech): Zanifu enable SMEs to purchase inventory and pay later.
• Zuri Health (HealthTech): Zuri Health provides affordable and accessible healthcare services to patients across Sub-Saharan Africa via mobile app, website, Whatsapp chatbot and SMS service.

Rwanda

• BAG (Edtech): BAG Innovation is a virtual and gamified platform that offers real-time access to experiential learning for University students and recent graduates.
• BailPort (Blockchain): Baliport is a cross-border, multi-currency payment platform focused on enabling Intra-Africa & Africa Outbound money transfer through Blockchain
• Exuus (Fintech): Exuus empowers informal saving groups with a digital ledger, digital wallet, decentralized social credit score, and instant micro-loans to both groups and individuals.
• Kapsule (Healthtech): Kapsule is a data as a service company that helps healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies to make better decisions.
• PesaChoice (Fintech): PesaChoice bridges the gap in liquidity for low-middle income earners across the continent and drives access to financial services.
• Pindo (Communication): Pindo is a cloud communication platform for businesses, optimized for developers.

South Africa

• AgriKool (Agritech): Agrikool is an agritech platform that connects farming producers and buyers to a fair and reliable market.
• Creditais (Fintech): CreditAIs provide credit scoring tools for micro-businesses and individuals that do not fit the existing traditional credit scoring models.
• Mapha (Logistics): Mapha provides delivery as a service to businesses in peri-urban & township areas.
• Rekisa (e-commerce): Rekisa helps businesses create their eCommerce websites and we also help them with various digital marketing activities.
• Technovera (Healthtech): Technovera has developed Pelebox- a Smart Locker Dispensing System that enables patients to collect their repeat chronic medication in under 30 seconds

Uganda

• ClinicPesa (Healthtech): ClinicPesa provides an easy-to-use platform where low-income users can set aside funds as low as $0.30 daily dedicated towards healthcare and get access to healthcare loans.
• Easy Matatu (Logistics): Easy Matatu provides a mobile platform that allows commuters to book and pay for scheduled rides on vetted and inspected minibuses.
• Eversend (Fintech): Eversend is a neobank, that provides critical financial products in Sub-Saharan Africa – including cross-border financial services.
• Xente (Fintech): Xente is a digital financial platform with in-built spend management to support businesses across Africa.

Ghana

• Built (Fintech): Built enables access to business and financial tools for Sub-Saharan African small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
• Kudigo (e-commerce): KUDIGO offers an omnichannel digital commerce platform to empower micro and small businesses in Africa
• Zuberi (Ghana): Zuberi is a fintech platform based out of Accra, built to provide financial products and services to salaried workers in a way they have never experienced before.

Cameroon

• Bee (mobility fintech): Bee finances motorcycles to drivers while also providing training and access to jobs.
• COVA (Insurtech): COVA is a digital insurance platform that enables partner businesses to easily and seamlessly deliver insurance products to their users.
• Healthlane (Healthtech): Healthlane provides advanced comprehensive health screening and personalized plans, biometric monitoring, genetic analysis, and in-person and virtual visits with top-rated doctors.

Ethiopia

• Garri Logistics: Garri Logistics matches shippers looking to move cargo with vehicle owners and drivers, while finding optimal route pairings to reduce empty miles.
• Zayride (Logistics): ZayRide is a customer-centric on-demand taxi service offering fast, convenient service throughout local areas in Ethiopia

Botswana

• Brastorne (Connectivity): Brastorne connects the unconnected in Africa, enabling rural villagers to have access to the digital world without smartphones or data.

Senegal

• Cauri Money (Fintech): Cauri Money is a cashless remittance platform helping African migrants move money from around the world into mobile wallets in Africa.

Source: Benjamin Dada