South Africa
A three-month hybrid accelerator program for growth-stage technology startups. The Accelerator is designed to bring the best of Google's programs, products, people, and technology to South African-led startups looking to scale their impact.
South Africa
About the program
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.
Google product benefits
Early access to AI products: Eligible participants receive Early Access Program and Trusted Tester benefits for Google’s AI products.
Cloud credits: Startups interested in utilizing Cloud credits during the Accelerator may apply here, subject to eligibility review and approval.
Cloud TPUs: Participants are eligible to receive free Cloud TPU access to accelerate open source machine learning research. Find out more.
Key benefits
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Equity-free support
Equity-free support for the duration of the program.
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Mentoring
Dedicated mentoring from Google teams.
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Training
Exclusive invitations to technical bootcamps hosted by Google where offered.
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Access to experts
Access to Google's network of industry experts.
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Early access to AI products
Access new Google AI products and tools as relevant through Trusted Tester and EAP benefits.
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Google product credits
Eligible startups receive product credits.
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Strategic support
Support on company and product strategy.
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Technical project partnership
Work hand in hand with experts from Google on your biggest tech challenges.
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Non-dilutive funding
Up to R1 million in non-dilutive (equity-free) funding for each participating startup.
Entry criteria
Entry criteria
- South African-led startups demonstrating traction, ideally growth-stage startups
- 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
Key dates
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September, 2026
Program Kick-off
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December, 2026
Graduation
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December, 2026
Demo Day
Frequently asked questions
The Google for Startups Accelerator: South Africa will kick off in September 2026 and run until December 2026.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: South Africa is best suited for growth-stage revenue generating tech startups led by South Africans. The founder and appropriate team members must be available to join all program elements of their cohort. In order to ensure Google can provide meaningful value, startups should aim to leverage AI/ML technology in their product, service or operations and/or show an interest in leveraging this technology in the future.
Yes, we provide up to R1 million in non-dilutive, equity-free cash funding to each participating startup, alongside access to Google expertise, products, and mentorship.
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.
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.
Yes. You can view our alumni on the directory page.