Fifteen startups have been selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator: South Africa, a three-month programme designed to support growth-stage, AI-driven startups with equity-free funding, technical mentorship and access to Google’s advanced AI technologies.
The programme forms part of Google’s plan to support 50 South African startups between 2024 and 2028. Each selected startup receives up to ZAR1 million (US$60,000) in equity-free funding, allowing founders to retain full ownership of their business while using the capital to accelerate growth.
They also gain direct access to Google’s AI tools, cloud infrastructure and models, including hands-on access to Gemini, helping them strengthen their products and enhance their technical capabilities.
Applications for the latest cohort opened in July, and received over 1,000 expressions of interest. From that, 15 South African-led, revenue-generating startups have been selected for the 2026 cohort.
They include Ambani Africa, an African language learning app that helps children connect with their mother tongue; Anvaya Legal AI, an AI legal assistant that speeds up research, drafting and document review; Boleka Africa, a community-based fintech helping underbanked adults access fair credit, savings and payments; Bro, a mobility platform connecting passengers with affordable transport; and Buddy Learning, an AI tutor on WhatsApp that delivers low-data, multilingual tutoring.
Also selected are Daedalis, which builds verified data infrastructure and enterprise AI for supply chains; Dataseka, an AI analytics platform that turns scattered business data into usable insights; Fly n Pay Later, a travel fintech that lets people book flights and pay in manageable installments; Kasicoach, an AI mentorship platform on WhatsApp and Telegram for township and rural youth; and Muna Africa. infrastructure that helps retailers run circular fashion resale programmes.
The cohort is completed by Propela Health, a marketplace connecting African healthcare professionals with global employers; Scale, which lets startups launch and issue card products; Thuto, an ed-tech building AI tools to improve learning outcomes; Tradeflow, an AI platform that automates supplier invoicing and ordering for restaurants; and Zumii, a WhatsApp platform that sources, packs and delivers school stationery to parents.
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