Google Selects Three African startups for it Startups Accelerator on SDGs

• Google has chosen three African Startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The five-month programmes will begin on April 21, and a second cohort will be announced later in the year.
• Google stated that the first two on-site activities will be digital, to keep the platform secure and open in view of Covid-19.

Google has picked three African startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The selected startups are Flare, mDoc and Solar Freeze. They were a part of 11 chosen startups for the programme’s inaugural cohort.

The five-month programmes will kick off on April 21, and a second cohort will be announced later in the year. Google released a request for applications in November.

In all, the tech company got approximately 1200 requests from those in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Google said Tuesday (7 April) in a statement that the 11 selected startups are tackling a wide variety of social and environmental issues and are working towards at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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Flare (Kenya) provides software technology and organizational support for emergency medical response services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Solar Freeze (Kenya) is pioneering mobile cold storage systems operated by renewable energy for smallholder farmers to help them minimize post-harvest losses in developing countries.

MDoc (Nigeria) uses a digital network and in-person centres to support chronic disease sufferers.

The other selected startups are: Apic.ai and Ororatech (both of Germany), Cervest.earth and Ellipsis.earth (both of UK), Everimpact (France), Wondertree (Pakistan), Oko (Israel) and Skilllab (Netherlands).

Google said each startup founder will work closely with engineers from more than 20 Google teams and other experts to tackle the challenges of product, engineering, business growth and financing.

Google made it clear that the first two on-site activities will now be digital, to keep the platform secure and open in light of Covid-19.

Digital training would include topics such as developing Priorities and Key Outcomes (OKRs), UX Analysis and Behavioral Economics, ML Data Pipelines and Data Visualization, SDG Positive Impact Creation, and Fundraising Methods for Social Impact.