SA: Three SA startups selected for this year’s Google Black Founders Fund

Google for Startups (GfS) has announced the 25 African startups that have been selected for this year’s $4 million Black Founders Fund.

For those unfamiliar with the Black Founders Fund, which is now in its third year, it is aimed at helping tackle, “systemic racial inequality in venture capital (VC) funding by providing equity-free grants and mentoring to early stage Black-led high-growth businesses across Europe and Africa”.

This year has seen a total of 40 startups from across Europe and Africa in the 2023 cohort, 25 of which are African, and three are South African.

The three local startups are Excel At Uni, HealthDart, and Zinacare.

“Each selected startup will receive up to $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards, up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credits, Ad support, 1:1 mentoring by industry experts and invaluable connections within Google’s network,” adds Google in a press release sent to Hypertext.

Google adds that since its inception, the Black Founders Fund has facilitated over $205 million in investor conversations, representing a 12-fold increase. On top of this, the startups have experienced significant growth, with their combined monthly recurring revenue now exceeding $6.1 million.

The full list of 25 African startups are as follows:

• “Akoma Health (Nigeria): Tech platform for accessible, culturally conscious mental health services in Africa.
• BezoMoney (Ghana) : Digital banking for Africa’s underbanked via mobile/web platforms.
• Chargel (Senegal): Digital trucking platform connecting shippers/carriers in Francophone West Africa.
• Charis UAS (Rwanda): Provides 3D geospatial data via drone technology.
• Evolve Credit (Nigeria): SaaS for digitising and managing banking services.
• Excel At Uni (South Africa): Supports student funders via digital services.
• EzyAgric (Uganda): AI-powered mobile technology to enhance Africa’s farming sector.
• Fez Delivery (Nigeria): Last-mile logistics platform for various industries.
• Fleetsimplify (Kenya): Monetization platform connecting gig drivers & vehicle owners.
• HealthDart (South Africa): Digital HMO providing end-to-end health services with insurance.
• Herconomy (Nigeria): Female-focused fintech aiming to be Africa’s first women’s bank.
• Jumba (Kenya): Improving Kenya’s construction sector supply chain via B2B platform.
• MDaaS Global (Nigeria): Tech-powered diagnostic centres for affordable healthcare.
• My Pocket Counsel (Nigeria): Legal tech platform for contract generation and management.
• Orda (Nigeria): Pan-African neobank for restaurants, offering cloud-based software.
• Periculum (Nigeria): Data company aiding in credit assessment, fraud/churn risk.
• Raenest (Nigeria): Fintech offering global financial services to freelancers/startups in Africa.
• Ridelink (Uganda): E-logistics platform providing shipping and real-time tracking.
• Susu (Côte d’Ivoire): Health platform providing healthcare services/insurance funded by African diaspora.
• Talamus Health (Ghana): Tech solutions targeting healthcare inefficiencies in Africa.
• TruQ (Nigeria): Streamlining mid-mile logistics across Africa with third-party vehicle connectivity.
• Tushop (Kenya): Tech platform for group buying of daily essentials in Kenya.
• Uzapoint (Kenya): Mobile/web POS for digitising bookkeeping in Africa’s informal sector.
• Zinacare (South Africa): Online platform for accessible, affordable healthcare services.
• Zydii (Kenya): Localised digital training solutions for African SMEs.”