Addressing Critical Infrastructure Gaps with AI

Google has announced its 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, featuring four standout companies from Nigeria: Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta, and Termii. This represents a significant achievement as these startups were selected from nearly 2,600 applicants across the continent – less than 1% acceptance rate.

The Nigerian presence is particularly strong with four out of fifteen total companies in this cohort, highlighting the country’s growing innovation ecosystem. These startups are leveraging AI to tackle key challenges within Africa’s financial infrastructure.

The Selected Companies:

• Bani focuses on cross-border payment solutions that enable faster transactions for African businesses trading globally.
• MasteryHive AI offers automated transaction reconciliation, fraud detection, and anti-money laundering monitoring for financial institutions.
• Regxta utilizes alternative data to assess creditworthiness and extend financial products to unbanked micro-businesses often overlooked by traditional lenders.
• Termii builds reliable communication infrastructure that ensures critical financial messages (like PINs, OTPs, and fraud alerts) reach users consistently.

Impact and Future Outlook

According to Gbolade Emmanuel, CEO of Termii, the program’s value is already apparent: “The Google Startup Accelerator is helping us accelerate our AI roadmap and scale globally – even in the first week, access to technical support has been incredibly valuable.”

The three-month hybrid program will provide mentorship, specialized workshops, and resources designed to help these startups prepare for future funding rounds. With previous alumni collectively raising over $263 million and creating 2,800+ jobs, this accelerator represents a significant opportunity for growth.

As Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem for Africa at Google, noted: “African startups are driving essential economic growth… Our role is to serve as a supportive partner, providing the technical infrastructure and mentorship they need to scale their solutions.”

The inclusion of companies from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zimbabwe demonstrates Google’s commitment to supporting innovation across the entire continent.