Four Nigerian Startups Make Google's Accelerator Africa Class 10, Dominate Continent-Wide Selection

 

Four Nigerian technology startups have secured spots in the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, making Nigeria the most represented country in a highly competitive programme that accepted fewer than one per cent of nearly 2,600 applicants from across the continent.

The four companies, Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta, and Termii, are part of a final pan-African group of 15 startups and are all building artificial intelligence-powered solutions targeting some of the most persistent gaps in Africa's financial infrastructure.

What Each Startup Does

Bani is tackling cross-border payment delays, building infrastructure that helps African businesses settle transactions faster when trading globally. MasteryHive AI automates transaction reconciliation, fraud detection, and anti-money laundering monitoring for financial institutions. Regxta uses alternative data to score creditworthiness and deliver financial products to unbanked micro-businesses that traditional lenders typically overlook. Termii, the fourth selected Nigerian startup, provides AI-powered communications infrastructure that ensures reliable delivery of financial messages such as transaction alerts, OTPs, and fraud notifications.

What the Programme Offers

The three-month hybrid programme runs from April 13th to June 19th, 2026, providing the 15 startups with mentorship from experienced industry experts, alongside hands-on technical workshops and resources focused on AI and cloud technologies, equipping them to scale their impact and prepare for follow-on funding. The programme is equity-free, meaning participating startups give up no ownership stake in exchange for the support.

Since launching in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme has supported 106 startups across 17 African countries. Participating companies have collectively raised over $263 million and created more than 2,800 jobs.

Nigeria's Growing Influence

The selection of four Nigerian startups from a single cohort reflects a broader shift in how the continent's tech ecosystem is being perceived. Africa's venture ecosystem raised $3.9 billion in capital funding in 2025, with the continent's tech founders actively solving fundamental infrastructural challenges and bridging gaps in financial inclusion, healthcare, and supply chains with complex AI. Google's programme is designed to provide technical depth that capital alone cannot buy.

For Nigeria's startup community, the result signals that the country's AI talent is increasingly competitive not just regionally, but across the continent.