Google Announces Black Founders Fund

Google said that 60 eligible Black founded startups would receive $4 million in the second cohort of its Black Founders Fund (BFF).

Google’s BFF was launched in 2020 as part of the company’s racial equality commitment. It is aimed at driving economic opportunities for Black business owners.

The fund is open to start-ups in Nigeria, Botswana, Cameroun, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Selected start-ups will receive between $50,000 and $100,000 non-dilutive cash awards and up to $200,000 per startup in Google Cloud credits. Selected founders also have the opportunity to connect with founders from all over the world.

In 2021, the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund invested $3 million into 50 Black-led startups in Africa. According to Google, the selected startups have gone on to raise more than $73 million in follow-on funding, hired more staff, and grown their revenues.

How To Apply

Only Early-stage startups with black founders or diverse founding teams operating and headquartered in Africa are eligible to apply for BFF.

The startups should have a live product in-market or be a business where technology is core to their ability to scale. They should have the capacity to create jobs and be able to show growth potential to raise more funding and make an impact on the African continent.

Follow this application link to apply.