Meet the 4 Nigerian startups selected for Google’s 10th Accelerator Africa Cohort

Four Nigerian tech startups, Bani, MasteryHive AI, Regxta, and Termii, have been selected for the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, earning spots in a programme that accepted fewer than 1% of nearly 2,600 applicants from across the continent.

The four companies were selected for Class 10, joining 15 startups in total, making Nigeria the most represented country in the cohort. The startups are building AI-powered solutions to tackle some of the most persistent problems in Africa’s financial infrastructure.

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 builds communications infrastructure that ensures critical financial messages, login PINs, payment OTPs, and fraud alerts are delivered reliably for banks and fintechs.

Gbolade Emmanuel, CEO of Termii, said the programme had already proven its value within the first week.

“The Google Startup Accelerator is helping us accelerate our AI roadmap and scale globally, and even in the first week, access to technical support and insights has been incredibly valuable for our next phase of growth,” he said.

Nigerian startups lead push to bridge Africa’s infrastructure gaps

The three-month hybrid program runs from April 13 to June 19, 2026, giving all 15 startups access to mentorship, AI and machine learning workshops, and support to help them prepare for follow-on funding.

Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem for Africa at Google, said the founders in this cohort represent the broader momentum building across the continent. “African startups are driving essential economic growth and social development.“

“Our role is to serve as a supportive partner, providing these developers and founders with the technical infrastructure, mentorship, and global network they need to scale their solutions and amplify their real-world impact,” he said.

The other 11 startups in Class 10 come from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zimbabwe, spanning sectors including agritech, health tech, mobility, and SaaS.

Back story: Google opens applications for 10th African startup accelerator, betting big on AI

Since its launch in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has supported 106 startups from 17 African countries. Those alumni have collectively raised over $263 million and created more than 2,800 jobs, numbers that underscore what the programme’s backing has historically meant for companies that come through it.

In 2025, Africa’s venture ecosystem raised $3.9 billion, but Google’s program says funding alone is not enough for deep-tech startups. What they need is technical support, like specialized infrastructure, cloud resources, and hands-on mentorship, to turn good ideas into scalable businesses. That’s the gap the accelerator is meant to fill.