Google has announced the selection of 15 pan-African startups for the 10th cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program. With nearly 2,600 applications, four Nigerian startups, Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta, and Termii, made the final cut, representing an acceptance rate of less than 1%.
- +Google selects 4 Nigerian startups for 10th accelerator cohort
- +Make your startup impossible to overlook
While previous years focused on broad digital transformation, the 10th cohort will shift its focus to deep-tech and AI-native solutions designed to solve Africa’s most stubborn infrastructure challenges.
While previous years focused on broad digital transformation, the 10th cohort will shift its focus to deep-tech and AI-native solutions designed to solve Africa’s most stubborn infrastructure challenges.
The four selected Nigerian startups focus on leveraging artificial intelligence to bridge gaps in financial inclusion and communications.
Bani is building a cross-border payments infrastructure to eliminate settlement delays for African businesses operating globally, while MasteryHive AI focuses on automating transaction reconciliation, fraud detection, and anti-money laundering (AML) monitoring.
Regxta combines alternative data-driven credit scoring with a hybrid digital-agent model to extend financial services to unbanked microbusinesses, and Termii provides an AI-powered communications infrastructure designed to improve the reliability of financial messaging for banks and fintechs.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these exceptional founders into Class 10,” Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, says. “African startups are driving essential economic growth and social development. Our role is to serve as a supportive partner, providing these developers and founders with the technical infrastructure, mentorship, and global network they need to scale their solutions and amplify their real-world impact.”
Launched in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has supported 106 startups across 17 African countries. According to Google, participating companies have collectively raised over $263 million and created more than 2,800 jobs.
This track record includes notable Nigerian alumni from previous cohorts, such as Myltura, Scandium, and Pastel, who were part of the 2025 Class 9. The program continues to offer equity-free support, providing a lifeline for Series A startups to scale without diluting founder ownership.
The 10th cohort will participate in a hybrid program running from April 13th to June 19th, 2026. During this period, the 15 startups will receive dedicated guidance from industry experts and participate in hands-on workshops focused specifically on Machine Learning and AI implementation.
Make your startup impossible to overlook
Discover the proven system to pitch your startup to the media, and finally get noticed.
