Ten South African startups tackling challenges in fields ranging from healthcare to law and agritech have been selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator (GFSA) 2025 programme, and have begun the three-month hybrid accelerator, which runs until December 5, with funds to be disbursed in January.

The programme supports startups using AI to address pressing challenges. Each startup will receive up to R1-million in equity-free funding. The initiative is aimed at early-growth technology companies, namely from seed stage through to Series A, that are already in the market and gaining traction.

Further, the startups will receive mentorship from Google engineers and industry experts, hands-on technical training, leadership development and access to Google’s global networks.

Founders will also benefit from Google’s AI infrastructure, including Google Cloud and Gemini, alongside $350 000, or R6-million, in Google Cloud credits, the company says.

The GFSA programme is open to companies headquartered in South Africa, with at least one South African founder, a live product in market, demonstrable traction and strong growth potential. Startups are expected to build on Google products and platforms.

“We were looking for South African-led startups that already have traction, strong teams and are applying AI in ways that can transform the continent. It is important that the companies should have the potential to grow internationally,” says Google Africa startup ecosystem head Folarin Aiyegbusi.

“Through the GFSA programme, we’re giving founders the funding, mentorship and resources they need to grow and make a lasting impact,” he notes.

The ten startups, which are building solutions across financial services, agriculture, health, energy and professional services, include Adjunct, eFama App, ejoobi, Rapidhuman AI, Ruka, Perks & Co, Squirrel Away, TeledoctorSA, Thola Energy and Funti3r.

Adjunct is an AI-driven legal research platform for legislation, regulation and case law, while eFama App is a digital marketplace linking farmers and buyers with fast payments and an AI-powered pricing engine.

Further, ejoobi is a recruitment platform that uses AI to connect employers with job seekers, and Rapidhuman AI is an end-to-end design-thinking platform that turns ideas into code, and cuts development time by up to 80%.

Additionally, Ruka simplifies complex digital challenges for African businesses through intelligent, human-centered solutions, and Perks & Co is a benefits marketplace with embedded finance and automation to help employers support their teams.

Squirrel Away is a women-led fintech app that converts everyday gifts into long-term investments, while TeledoctorSA offers digital health and telemedicine services using wearables for continuous, preventive care.

Thola Energy provides energy coordination across industrial buildings to reduce waste and downtime, and Funti3r is a platform connecting global enterprises with skilled professionals for essential tasks, Google says.

Since 2018, Google’s accelerator work in Africa has supported 160 startups in 17 countries. Alumni have collectively raised over $300-million and created more than 3 000 jobs. Google has also provided $5-million in equity-free funding and product credits, underscoring its long-term commitment to the continent’s innovation economy.