South African startups Loop and Vambo AI join Google's 10th Africa accelerator cohort

The two companies , one focused on digital payments and mobility, the other on multilingual AI for African languages ,  were selected from nearly 2,600 applications and will receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits

Loop, a South African startup working on digital mobility and payments infrastructure, and Vambo AI, which is building multilingual AI tools for African languages, have been selected for the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa. The programme, which runs from 13 April to 19 June in a hybrid format, provides each participating company with up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits, mentorship from industry practitioners, technical workshops and access to Google's investor and partner network.

The two companies were chosen from a pool of nearly 2,600 applicants across the continent. Loop's product focuses on connecting transport and financial services for individuals and businesses. Vambo AI is developing translation, speech and generative AI capabilities that work in African languages, a segment where coverage in existing AI systems remains limited. The company's CEO, Chido Dzinotyiwei, described the gap the company is targeting.

"African languages remain largely underrepresented in today's AI systems, limiting access to digital tools and opportunities for millions. At Vambo AI, we are building multilingual AI infrastructure to change that, enabling developers, enterprises and institutions to build for African markets in the local languages spoken daily. Being part of the Google for Start-ups Accelerator is a powerful milestone for our team."

Google has run the Africa accelerator since 2018. Over that period, the programme has accepted 106 startups from 17 countries, which have collectively raised more than $263 million and created over 2,800 jobs. The broader context for the programme is an African venture capital market that saw $3.9 billion in funding in 2025 but where access to cloud infrastructure, technical support and mentorship remains a constraint for early-stage companies building technology-heavy products.

"We are thrilled to welcome these founders into Class 10," says Folarin Aiyegbusi, head of Start-up Ecosystem, Google Africa. "African start-ups 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."