South Africa

Two women examine a sticky note board at the event.
South Africa - Hybrid
Three months
Seed to Series A

A three-month hybrid accelerator program for Seed to Series A technology startups. The accelerator program is designed to bring the best of Google's programs, products, people and technology to communities across South Africa.

Two women examine a sticky note board at the event.
South Africa - Hybrid
Three months
Seed to Series A

Applications are now closed

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About the program

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Three individuals are hosting an event, with one of them holding a microphone.

About the program

A global series of programs
Each cohort of 10-15 startups comes together to tackle technical challenges that can help grow their businesses through a mix of remote and in-person, 1-to-1, group learning sessions, and sprint projects.

Dedicated expert help
Founders outline the top technical challenges for their startup, and are paired with experts from Google and the industry to solve those challenges and grow their business.

Specialist deep dives
Accelerators include deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development for founders.

Cloud program offerings
Eligible participants receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits, dedicated support from startup experts, technical training and access to key industry events. Find out more.

Additionally, participants are eligible to receive 30 days of free Cloud TPU access through the TPU Research Cloud program to accelerate their open-source machine learning research. Find out more.

Key benefits

  • Equity-free support

    Equity-free support: For duration of program.

  • Mentoring

    Dedicated mentoring from Google teams.

  • Training

    Exclusive invitations to technical bootcamps hosted by Google where offered.

  • Access to experts

    Access to Google's network of industry experts.

  • Google product credits

    Eligible startups receive product credits.

  • Early access

    Access to new Google products and tools as relevant.

  • Strategic support

    Support on company and product strategy.

  • Technical project partnership

    Work hand in hand with experts from Google on your biggest tech challenges.

Entry criteria

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The female host, with a mic in hand, is delivering an excellent event.

Entry criteria

  • Startups demonstrating traction, ideally between Seed and Series A stage
  • Building a scalable product or service with a significant total addressable market and defensible growth model
  • Deeply technical, preferably leveraging technologies like machine learning and AI
  • Commitment from CTO and/or technical roles to participate and engage in required program sessions
  • We are committed to building accelerator classes with great startups, and encourage applications from all qualified startups

Frequently asked questions

Do you take equity or a fee to be a part of this program?

The Google for Startups Accelerator: South Africa is equity-free for all participating startups. Please note that we do require all founders (CEO and CTO) and appropriate team members to be available to join all elements of the program.

What are the criteria to receive product credits, and what does "eligible for product credits" mean?

Startups must meet specific criteria to be eligible for Google product credit offerings. To learn more about the Google Cloud credit eligibility requirements, please visit the Google Cloud startup page.