Google has announced the selection of 15 promising African startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 9 program, marking another significant milestone in the tech giant’s commitment to fostering innovation across the continent. Among the selected companies are two Kenyan startups, Shamba Records and Apexloads, both leveraging artificial intelligence to address critical challenges in agriculture and logistics respectively.
The announcement comes at a crucial time for Africa’s tech ecosystem, which continues to demonstrate resilience and innovation despite global economic uncertainties. These 15 startups, drawn from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, represent the cream of nearly 1,500 applications received during the highly competitive selection process that began in April 2025.
Program Overview and Support Structure
The three-month hybrid accelerator program, running from June 23rd to August 22nd, 2025, offers participants comprehensive support designed to accelerate their growth and scale their operations. Selected startups will receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits, dedicated technical mentorship from experienced Google engineers, and strategic guidance in AI implementation, product leadership, and business development.
This substantial support package reflects Google’s deep commitment to Africa’s digital transformation. Since the program’s inception in 2018, Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries, collectively raising over $300 million in funding and creating more than 3,500 jobs. Google has directly contributed $5 million through equity-free funding and product credits to support these founders.
Kenyan Innovation Takes Center Stage
Shamba Records: Transforming African Agriculture
Shamba Records stands out as a prime example of how AI can revolutionize traditional sectors. The Kenyan startup operates an AI-powered platform that empowers over 50,000 African farmers with smart credit access, market connectivity, and climate-resilient, data-driven agricultural solutions. The platform addresses critical challenges in Africa’s agricultural sector, including limited access to finance, market information gaps, and climate change adaptation.
The selection of Shamba Records aligns with broader trends in African agricultural technology innovation. The continent’s agriculture sector, projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, presents enormous opportunities for tech-enabled solutions that can enhance productivity, sustainability, and farmer incomes.
Apexloads: Revolutionizing African Logistics
Apexloads, the second Kenyan startup in the cohort, tackles the complex challenges of African logistics through its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. The company helps African freight brokers, forwarders, and transporters move cargo more efficiently by connecting them with verified partners and streamlining operations.
The logistics sector across Africa faces significant challenges, including fragmented supply chains, limited visibility, and trust issues between stakeholders. Apexloads’ platform addresses these pain points by providing transparency, verification systems, and efficient matching algorithms that connect cargo owners with reliable transport partners.
Broader African AI Innovation Landscape
The Class 9 cohort represents diverse sectors beyond agriculture and logistics. Notable selections include AFRIKABAL from Rwanda, which combines blockchain and AI to create secure crop trading platforms, and Nigeria’s Myltura, an AI-powered digital health platform enabling remote care and seamless health data management across Africa.
Other standout selections include Rapid Human AI from South Africa, which offers an end-to-end AI design-thinking platform that converts ideas into code within days, potentially reducing development time by 80%. Ghana’s Regulon provides AI-powered compliance and onboarding solutions, while Senegal’s TOLBI leverages AI and satellite imagery for sustainable agriculture and precise crop yield forecasting.
Market Context and Funding Trends
The announcement comes amid encouraging signs of recovery in African startup funding. According to recent data, African startups raised $343 million in April 2025 alone, representing the second-highest April total since 2022. From January to April 2025, total funding reached $803 million, marking a 43% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
This funding recovery reflects growing investor confidence in African innovation, with over 225 unique investors participating in deals across the continent in early 2025. The trend suggests that 2025 could see total funding exceed 2024 figures, providing a favorable environment for the newly selected accelerator participants.
Strategic Impact and Future Outlook
Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google, emphasized the transformative potential of the selected startups: “African startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across the continent, and their work with AI is truly transformative. This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply.”
The focus on AI-driven solutions aligns with continental initiatives such as the Africa AI Council, launched earlier in 2025 to drive inclusive AI adoption and workforce development. With AI projected to contribute $2.9 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, programs like Google’s accelerator play a crucial role in building the talent and innovation pipeline needed to realize this potential.
Conclusion
The selection of these 15 startups for Google’s Accelerator Africa Class 9 represents more than just a business opportunity. It symbolizes the continent’s growing technological sophistication and the increasing recognition of African innovation on the global stage. For Kenyan startups Shamba Records and Apexloads, this selection provides not only financial and technical support but also validation of their innovative approaches to solving complex local challenges.
As these startups embark on their three-month acceleration journey, they carry with them the hopes of millions of Africans who could benefit from their innovations. Their success could inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs and demonstrate the continent’s potential to lead in the global AI revolution.
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