By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

Google on Thursday opened applications for the 2025 Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Programme, a three-month initiative designed to support early stage startups using Artificial Intelligence to address Africa?s most pressing challenges.

The Head of Startups Ecosystem, Africa, Google, Mr Folarin Aiyegbusi, said in a statement that across the continent, startups are demonstrating how local innovation could solve deeply-rooted problems.

Aiyegbusi said that AI?s potential to accelerate Africa?s development was real, and Google was investing in ensuring that African startups led that charge.

He said that, according to McKinsey, AI could add $1.3 trillion to Africa?s economy by 2030, but only if bold innovation was supported at the grassroots.

?Startups are Africa?s problem solvers, with the right resources, they can scale their impact far beyond local communities.

?This programme reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply,?? he said.

According to him, in West Africa, Crop2Cash ? an agritech platform and alumni of the programme ? is using AI to digitally onboard smallholder farmers.

He said that Crop2Cash helped smallholder farmers build their financial identities, and provided them with access to credit, traceable payments, and productivity tools.

Aiyegbusi said that through these efforts, Crop2Cash was improving agricultural outcomes and unlocking economic opportunity for farmers who had long been excluded from formal systems.

He noted that Crop2Cash illustrated the kind of impact that was possible when African startups received the support they need to scale.

According to him, the Accelerator is open to Seed to Series A startups based in Africa that are building AI first solutions.

Aiyegbusi said that Startups must have a live product, at least one founder of African descent, and a clear vision for responsible AI innovation.

He said that selected participants would receive dedicated technical mentorship from Google and industry expert, and up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits.

Other benefits, he said, included access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators and workshops focused on technology, product strategy, people leadership, and AI implementation.

According to Aiyegbusi, since 2018, the programme has supported 140 startups from 17 African countries.

Aiyegbusi said that these alumni had raised more than $300 million in funding and created over 3,000 jobs, adding that many are now regional and global leaders in their categories.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that applications for the 2025 cohort are now open for startups interested in participating to apply. (NAN)

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