TECHDIGEST – Google today announced its first product development centre in Africa, to be located in Nairobi.
The new Google product development centre will help to create transformative products and services for people in Africa and around the world and will be hiring visionary engineers, product managers, UX designers and researchers to lay the foundation for significant growth in the coming years.

The centre is looking for talented, creative people who can help solve difficult and important technical challenges, such as improving the smartphone experience for people in Africa, or building a more reliable internet infrastructure.

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Last October at a Google for Africa event, the CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced a plan to invest $1billion over the next 5 years to support Africa’s digital transformation. This investment focuses on enabling fast, affordable internet access for more Africans, building helpful products, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses and helping nonprofits to improve lives across Africa. In 2018 Google also opened an AI research centre in Accra, Ghana to help drive useful innovations.

The new product development centre is a continuation of that commitment and will be working on building for Africa and the world.

VP for Products, Suzanne Frey said: “Google’s mission in Africa is to make the Internet helpful to Africans and partner with African governments, policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs and businesses to shape the next wave of innovation in Africa. Today I am excited to welcome all Africans passionate about improving the digital experience of African users by building better products to apply for the open roles at our first product development centre in Africa.”

Nitin Gajria, Managing Director for Google in Africa added: “There are 300M internet users in Africa who are young, mobile-first and have similar patterns to mobile youth globally. By 2030, Africa will have 800M internet users and a third of the world’s under-35 population. The potential for Africa to become a leading digital economy is right on the horizon and Google is committed to accelerating Africa’s digital transformation through human capital and enabling “African-led solutions to African and global problems” through better products.”

All the roles announced today about building for Africa and the world can be viewed at careers.google.com site.

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TECHDIGEST – Google has announced that Equiano, a subsea internet cable running through Portugal to South Africa, will first land in Togo. Equiano is expected to land in South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and St Helena later in the year, connecting the continent with Europe.

This announcement marks a milestone in Google’s plan to provide affordable internet access in Africa by building global infrastructure to help bring faster internet to more people and lower connectivity costs. Last October, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a plan to invest $1billion over 5 years to support digital transformation in Africa, of which project Equiano is part of.

READ ALSO : Google,Tony Elumelu Foundation, Announce Fellowship Programme To Support Entrepreneurs

For Togo which currently ranks as the sixth-best country in Africa regarding ease of doing business, the landing of Equiano opens up more possibilities and opportunities. It’s expected that once connected to Equiano, it will provide 20 times more bandwidth than any other cable currently serving West Africa, helping Togo attract even more investments and further boosting its vibrant startup culture.

“Broadening the access to high-speed internet is a fundamental part in our national digital development process as we strive towards achieving the objectives set out in our Digital 2025 Strategy,” Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation for Togo said.

According to an economic impact assessment of Equiano in Togo from Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, it is estimated that the subsea cable will add approximately 37,000 new jobs between 2022 and 2025, and increase Togo’s economic output by an additional USD 351 million during the same period.

Nitin Gajria, Managing Director of Google Sub-Saharan Africa commented, “The landing of Equiano affirms Google’s commitment to the African continent, to support Africa’s digital transformation. We are thrilled that Togo will be Equiano’s first landing on the African continent, as it aligns with the country’s continuing efforts to promote digital inclusion for Africa.”

This announcement is coming a year after Google shut down project Loon, a cost-effective solution to the difficult challenge of bringing internet access to people in underserved remote areas. The shutdown of Google’s Project Loon brought up questions about the fate of Google’s other internet projects targeted at Africa. The progress made so far hints that Equiano will be different from Loon.

To read more, visit :  techcabal

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TECH DIGEST – Google has renewed its commitment to growing Africa’s startup ecosystem with the announcement of a new Google for Startups Accelerator (GFSA) Africa class, the launch and opening of applications for a new $3 million Black Founders Fund (BFF) Africa programme.

There is also the opening for application for Google.org-backed $3 million grant to the Tony Elumelu Foundation, leading philanthropy empowering young entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, to support female entrepreneurs on the continent.

Google for Startups Accelerator (GFSA) Africa

Applications for GFSA Africa opened earlier this year making way for 15 startups, from across the continent, to join the 6th class of the programme starting on 21 June, 2021.

The three-month online programme, which includes virtual training bootcamps, mentorship and Google product support, is designed to support these nascent businesses through their early growth phases.

Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for Africa

In a further show of support for innovation on the continent, a new $3M Google for Startups Black Founders Fund Africa is launching as part of Google’s global commitment to support underserved communities.

This fund, which is part of the company’s racial equity commitments announced in June 2020, will provide cash awards and hands-on support to 50 Black-led startups in Africa and, unlike most startup investments, it does not require founders to give up any equity in exchange for funding.

Google will be working with the Co-Creation Hub, a Google for Startups partner and leading tech community hub with presence in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, to distribute the funding to the selected companies across Africa.

Applications are now open for access to funding, as well as technical and business support, for 50 early-stage startups across the continent in 2021.

BFF Africa is open to all startups in Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, that meet the eligibility criteria. Applications will close on 7 July, 2021.

“It’s encouraging to see Google’s continued dedication to strengthening and elevating the startup ecosystem in Africa. Google was one of the early believers in tech entrepreneurs on the continent and this support over the last 10 years reflects a thoughtful commitment. This programme is extremely timely and will not only empower founders across the continent but also deepen the pipeline and unlock follow-on funding from both local and foreign investors,” says the Co-founder & CEO at Co-Creation Hub, Bosun Tijani.

“Google understands that the growth and success of one player in the startup space lays the path for others. This is what drives the commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and startups and effectively driving employment and enabling both economic and social development on the continent. We are determined to help black founders grow their businesses, not just through access to capital but also through access to the best of Google’s resources,” says the Managing Director of Google Sub-Saharan Africa, Nitin Gajria.

Google.org grants $3 million to the Tony Elumelu Foundation

Furthermore, Google.org’s $3M grant support to the Tony Elumelu Foundation will go towards providing entrepreneurship training, mentorship and coaching to at least 5,000 women with low digital skills, who come from rural areas and currently operate in an informal sector. Seed capital in the form of one-time cash grants will also be provided to 500 African women aspiring entrepreneurs in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and select Francophone countries.

This will prepare women founders who otherwise wouldn’t have access to opportunity to navigate their businesses through the startup journey.“We are dedicated to building a world where all women can thrive. According to data collected by the World Bank in 10 African countries, male-owned enterprises have six times more capital than female owned enterprises. This huge capital gap is not stopping the rise of female entrepreneurs, but it slows them down and makes their journeys that much more challenging. We hope that the support to The Tony Elumelu Foundation will help accelerate the growth of women techmakers and entrepreneurs in Africa,” adds Gajria.

“As Africa’s leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs, this grant support will provide financial and technical support for additional women-owned businesses and marginalized groups in the informal sector through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme. There is no better time to invest in women’s economic participation on the continent than now. Through this support, women will drive growth for local economies and enable better living conditions for their communities. We are delighted to disburse the Google.org grant to scale our ongoing efforts to empower young African entrepreneurs as we believe this will be instrumental in building much-needed businesses and resilient economies,” concludes the CEO at Tony Elumelu Foundation, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu.

Those interested in applying for the Google for Startups, Black Founders Fund Africa may find more information at goo.gle/BFFAfrica.

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TECH DIGEST – As applications open for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 6 and new scholarships in partnership with Pluralsight

Another big news coming from Google. The company is working the talk even it has restated commitment to the startup ecosystem in Africa.

If you rewind back to the first Google Startup Week held in Lagos in 2019 you will understand why this is happening now. At that week-long event featuring a focus on Google’s activities in the startup space across the continent, the company introduced some of the top UK VCs who flew to Lagos in support of the Google for Startups UK Africa Immersion Programme.

Before then, Google has made impressive marks in the African startup ecosystem.

So, today, Google announced the opening of applications for the 6th Class of the Google for Startups Accelerator programme, and the launch of new developer scholarships in partnership with Pluralsight and Andela.

The announcements were made during a virtual event at which Google hosted key industry players, policy leads, startup executives and investors driving the growth of Africa’s tech ecosystem.

They reviewed opportunities unfolding throughout the internet economy, paying special attention to the support of developers and startups in the region.

Applications for the 6th Cohort of Google for Startups Accelerator programme, a three-month programme that is slated to start on June 21, 2021, will be open until May 14.

The online programme, which includes 3 intensive virtual training bootcamps, mentorship and Google product support, is open to applications from 17 countries across Africa, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The aim is to support the growth of the startups through their crucial growth phases.

For Google’s new developer scholarships, Android, Web and Google Cloud scholarships are being offered to beginner and intermediate developers resident in Africa.

A total of 40,000 scholarships will be offered to developers, spread across Mobile and Cloud development tracks.

The top 1,000 students at the end of the training will earn a full scholarship to certify on Android or Cloud development.

“Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first virtual class of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa was launched. It was the first all-online literation of Google’s accelerator program for Africa, and saw 20 startups from seven countries undergo a 12-week virtual journey to redefine their offering, while receiving mentoring and attending workshops. This year, with the 6th cohort, we want to continue to play our part by supporting developers and startups within the Africa tech ecosystem, ensuring they get all the access and support necessary to see them continue to grow,” says the Head of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, Onajite Emerhor.

The African startup ecosystem is a key driver of economic growth on the continent, with Africa’s tech space experiencing a significant upswing in startup success stories. According to the Africa Internet Economy 2020 report, sponsored by Google and IFC, Africa’s Internet economy is poised to boost the continent’s economy by 5.25% in the next five years.

The report states that the headwinds caused by COVID-19 will not deter the growth of Africa’s internet economy, which is projected to contribute nearly $189 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2025, increasing to $712 billion by 2050.

“The growth of entrepreneurship is crucial, especially in the African context. African developers and startups play a critical role in the transformation of the African economy, creating new opportunities and paving the way for the economic and social development on the continent that we want to see. We recognise Africa’s exceptional digital potential, and that is why Google is committed to providing this critical support for African startups,” says the Managing Director of Google Sub-Saharan Africa, Nitin Gajria.

Google for Startups Accelerator Africa gives early-growth stage startups access to the best of Google – its people, networks, and advanced technologies.

Google for Startups Accelerator Africa(#Build4africa)

The accelerator trains participating startups on technology (AI/ML, Cloud, Android, Firebase), product, data, business, design, people, growth and fundraising, through interactive workshops and labs facilitated by Google experts and mentors.

Google continues to support developer communities across Sub-Saharan Africa, through Google Developer Groups, Developer Student Clubs and Women Techmakers, providing training and support for developers that is aligned with real-life job competency requirements.

Community groups engage in activities like Study Jams: study groups facilitated by developers, for developers. Today there are over 120 active developer communities across 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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