South African technology startup Loop and Vambo AI are among 15 African companies selected for the 10th cohort of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, selected from approximately 2,600 applications.
Selected companies will receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits and access to a global network of investors, partners and collaborators. Running from April 13 to June 19, the program offers dedicated mentorship from industry experts and practical technical workshops focused on AI and machine learning.
Loop focuses on digitalizing mobility and payments, enabling individuals, businesses and communities to access more seamless transportation and financial services. Wambo AI is building multilingual AI infrastructure to support translation, speech and generative AI capabilities in African languages – an area widely considered underdeveloped in global AI systems.
“African languages are grossly under-represented in today’s AI systems, limiting access to digital tools and opportunities for millions of people,” said Chido Dzinotiwei, CEO of Vambo AI. “At Vambo AI, we are building multilingual AI infrastructure to change this – enabling developers, enterprises and institutions to build for African markets in daily spoken local languages.”
Folarin Aiyegbusi, head of startup ecosystem at Google Africa, said the accelerator is designed to provide founders with the infrastructure, mentorship and global network needed to scale their solutions. “African start-ups are driving essential economic growth and social development,” he said.
Since launching in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 106 startups in 17 countries. Those companies have collectively raised more than $263 million and created more than 2,800 jobs.
Africa's venture ecosystem raised $3.9 billion in 2025, though Google Africa notes there remains a need for access to advanced cloud infrastructure, specialized technical support, and strategic mentorship to drive deep technology innovation.