2 SA startups join Google’s 10th Africa accelerator cohort
The selected companies, Loop and Vambo AI, are applying artificial intelligence to address local and regional challenges, from transport and payments to language accessibility in digital systems.
Loop focuses on digitising mobility and payments, aiming to simplify how people and businesses access transport and financial services. Vambo AI is building multilingual AI infrastructure to support translation, speech and generative AI across African languages, an area that remains underrepresented in global AI systems.
The cohort reflects broader momentum in Africa’s tech sector, where startups continue to tackle structural challenges in areas such as financial inclusion, healthcare and supply chains. While the continent’s venture ecosystem raised an estimated $3.9bn in 2025, scaling deep-tech solutions still depends on access to infrastructure, cloud capabilities and technical expertise.
According to Folarin Aiyegbusi, the programme is designed to provide that support. “African startups are driving essential economic growth and social development. Our role is to provide the technical infrastructure, mentorship and global network they need to scale their solutions,” he said.
The hybrid programme runs from April to June 2026 and includes mentorship, technical workshops and access to industry experts, with a focus on AI and machine learning.
Since its launch in 2018, the accelerator has supported more than 100 startups across 17 African countries, helping them raise over $263m and create more than 2,800 jobs.