Kenya’s innovation ecosystem has earned global recognition after four local startups- Comana, Duck, ReportsAI, and VunaPay were selected for the 10th Google for Startups Accelerator Africa cohort. Chosen from nearly 2,600 applicants, they form part of the final group of 15, with an acceptance rate below 1%.
The selected Kenyan startups are leveraging Artificial Intelligence to tackle pressing local and regional challenges. Comana is digitizing informal food markets by building tools for governments and market associations, while Duck provides real-time data intelligence that helps consumer brands monitor shop floor activity and avoid stockouts. ReportsAI enables impact organizations to transform raw data into structured insights and compliance-ready reports, and VunaPay is developing fintech and data infrastructure that supports instant payments and financial services for smallholder farmers.
Across the continent, African tech founders continue to address core infrastructural gaps in areas such as financial inclusion, healthcare, and supply chains using advanced AI solutions. In 2025, the ecosystem demonstrated resilience by raising $3.9 billion. However, scaling deep-tech innovations still demands robust technical infrastructure, advanced cloud systems, and strategic mentorship, areas where accelerator programmes play a critical role in helping startups grow sustainably and drive Africa’s digital economy.
Hafsah Jumare, CEO of Kenyan-based Coamana, highlighted, “Most food trade across Africa happens in traditional markets, but these markets remain largely invisible and unsupported. With MarketView, we’re building infrastructure to make them visible, using AI to interpret real-time data so businesses and governments can actually see what’s happening and act on it. Through the accelerator, we’re focused on scaling this across more markets and strengthening the underlying data systems and integrations that make this intelligence usable at scale. Even in the first week, the technical mentorship and network provided have already been valuable in sharpening how we approach this.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these exceptional founders into Class 10,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa. “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.”
Scheduled to run from April 13 to June 19, 2026, the hybrid programme will offer the 15 startups tailored mentorship from seasoned industry experts, along with hands-on technical workshops in Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has supported 106 startups across 17 African countries, helping them collectively raise more than $263 million and generate over 2,800 jobs.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
