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Four Nigerian startups in the technology sector, Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta, and Termii have earned selection into the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, marking a significant milestone not only for the companies themselves but for Nigeria’s broader innovation ecosystem.
Chosen from an intensely competitive pool of nearly 2,600 applications across the continent, the four companies form part of a final group of just 15 startups admitted into the programme. With an acceptance rate of less than one per cent, their inclusion underscores both the quality of Nigerian innovation and the growing global recognition of Africa’s deep-tech capabilities.
More importantly, their selection highlights the increasing importance of accelerator programmes in helping African startups move beyond early-stage promise into scalable, globally competitive businesses.
A Highly Competitive Pan-African Cohort
The Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has become one of the continent’s most sought-after startup support programmes. Each year, thousands of founders apply for a handful of slots, drawn by the opportunity to access world-class technical mentorship, advanced cloud infrastructure, product support, and global networks.
The 10th cohort continues that tradition. Out of nearly 2,600 applicants, only 15 startups were selected, representing some of the most innovative and technically advanced ventures across Africa. Nigeria’s strong presence in the cohort reaffirms the country’s reputation as one of the continent’s leading technology hubs.
The selected Nigerian startups are leveraging Artificial Intelligence to address structural challenges across financial infrastructure, cross-border commerce, and financial inclusion.
AI at the Core of Local Solutions
Each of the four Nigerian startups is deploying AI to solve critical problems that affect businesses and underserved populations.
Bani is building cross-border payments infrastructure designed to eliminate settlement delays for African businesses trading globally. Cross-border transactions remain one of the continent’s most persistent bottlenecks, often slowed by fragmented financial systems and liquidity challenges. By streamlining this infrastructure, Bani aims to make African businesses more competitive in global markets.
MasteryHive AI focuses on automating transaction reconciliation, fraud detection, and anti-money laundering (AML) monitoring. Financial institutions across Africa face increasing compliance demands while managing high transaction volumes. Through AI-native automation, MasteryHive AI is helping institutions reduce operational risk and improve efficiency.
Regxta combines alternative data-driven credit scoring with a hybrid digital-agent distribution model to provide financial products to unbanked micro businesses. Access to credit remains one of the most significant barriers to growth for informal enterprises across Africa. By rethinking how creditworthiness is assessed and distributed, Regxta is expanding financial access to underserved entrepreneurs.
Termii, meanwhile, is building AI-native communications infrastructure that ensures reliable financial messaging for banks and fintechs. From login PINs and one-time passwords (OTPs) to fraud alerts and transaction confirmations, dependable communication channels are critical to financial trust. Termii’s infrastructure helps prevent transaction failures and strengthens digital banking reliability.
Collectively, these startups reflect a broader trend across Africa: founders are no longer merely building consumer apps but are tackling foundational infrastructure problems with complex AI-driven solutions.
Why Accelerators Matter More Than Ever
Africa’s venture capital ecosystem has demonstrated remarkable resilience. In 2025, startups across the continent raised $3.9 billion in funding, reinforcing investor confidence in the region’s long-term growth potential.
However, access to capital alone is not enough to scale deep-tech innovation. Building AI-powered infrastructure products requires specialised technical expertise, advanced cloud architecture, security optimisation, and global product insight. This is where accelerator programmes play a transformative role.
The Google for Startups Accelerator Africa provides structured, hands-on support that complements venture funding. Participating startups gain:
- Direct access to experienced technical mentors
- Product strategy guidance
- AI and machine learning workshops
- Cloud infrastructure credits
- Connections to Google engineers and global experts
- Exposure to international networks
Rather than simply offering funding, the accelerator strengthens a startup’s technical backbone and operational strategy. It reduces costly experimentation cycles and accelerates product-market fit.
For many African startups building complex AI systems, this level of technical support can significantly compress growth timelines.
Founders on the Value of the Programme
For the selected founders, the accelerator represents more than prestige, it is a strategic growth catalyst.
Gbolade Emmanuel, CEO of Nigeria-based Termii, emphasised the immediate impact of the programme:
“At Termii, we’re building AI-powered infrastructure that ensures financial transactions don’t fail, from login PINs to payment OTPs and fraud alerts. The Google Startup Accelerator is helping us accelerate our AI roadmap and scale globally, and even in the first week, access to technical support and insights has been incredibly valuable for our next phase of growth.”
His remarks illustrate how accelerator programmes go beyond theory, delivering practical engineering and scaling support from the outset.
Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, echoed the broader vision behind the initiative:
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these exceptional founders into Class 10. African startups are driving essential economic growth and social development. Our role is to serve as a supportive partner, providing these developers and founders with the technical infrastructure, mentorship, and global network they need to scale their solutions and amplify their real-world impact.”
The statement underscores the programme’s mission: to act as a multiplier of local innovation by providing the infrastructure and expertise that founders may not otherwise access easily.
Programme Structure and Long-Term Impact
The 10th cohort runs from April 13 to June 19, 2026, and follows a hybrid format that combines remote learning with intensive workshops. Over the course of the programme, the 15 selected startups will participate in tailored mentorship sessions, AI-focused technical bootcamps, and strategic growth advisory sessions.
Since its launch in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has supported 106 startups from 17 African countries. Collectively, these companies have raised more than $263 million in funding and created over 2,800 jobs demonstrating the tangible economic impact of structured accelerator support.
These outcomes highlight a critical truth about Africa’s digital economy: sustained growth depends not only on bold ideas but also on access to technical guidance, global networks, and scaling infrastructure.
Strengthening Africa’s Digital Backbone
The inclusion of four Nigerian startups in the 10th cohort reflects both national progress and continental ambition. As African founders increasingly focus on infrastructure-layer innovation from payments and compliance to communications and credit access accelerator programmes provide the scaffolding needed to transform technical ambition into sustainable impact.
In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, structured support systems such as the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa are proving essential. They are not merely programmes; they are growth engines that help African startups transition from promising ventures into globally competitive technology companies.
For Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta, and Termii, the journey through the accelerator may last just a few months but the long-term benefits could shape their trajectory for years to come.
