Emma Okonji
Google has unveiled the first cohort for its ‘Google for Startups Accelerator AI First programme.
The 11 startups selected from a vast pool of innovative talent, Nigeria had the highest number of startups.
The selected startups are; Famasi Africa fromNigeria, whose solution is on building the OS for pharmacies in emerging markets; Izi from from Nigeria, whose solution provides an end-to-end credit infrastructure via API for small businesses; Vzy from Nigeria, whose solution is about revolutionising website building with AI-driven tools that craft sites in mere minutes; Avalon Health from South Africa, whose solution empowers patients with streamlined online healthcare access and offers doctors digital tools to enhance care; Chatbots Africa from Ghana, whose solution is about spearheading SMEs’ transition into the Social Commerce era with AI-driven online storefronts; Dial Afrika Inc from Kenya, whose solution is on tailoring customer support tools for global businesses, with a focus on African SMBs.
Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, Folarin Aiyegbusi, said: “At Google we’ve been working on AI for over a decade, and we’ve shown how useful AI is in our products and for developers externally. AI is not only a powerful enabler, it’s also a major platform shift. That’s why we’re focused on making it easy and scalable for others to innovate with AI. Our chosen startups for the ‘AI First’ program embody this vision, leveraging AI in pioneering ways to address both local and global challenges. We’re here excited to support and amplify their impact.”
