Google opens registrations to MENA tech startups for accelerator programme

Google has invited tech startups based in the Middle East and North Africa to apply to the second cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator programme.

The three-month long programme will commence in mid-July 2021 and is for ‘Seed to Series’ startups in the region who are using innovative technology to meet consumer demands.

The selected startups will be paired with experts in their fields from Google to other relevant industries to help the founders solve their unique problems. Participants will also receive 1:1 coaching from Google and various other tech companies and mentorship on business and technical challenges. The programme  will include workshops ranging from customer acquisition, machine learning technologies, leadership development, and product design/UX.

Salim Abid, Google’s regional lead of developed ecosystem in MENA, said: “We hope through our second cohort to equip more homegrown entrepreneurs with the latest digital skills to grow and tackle the unexpected societal challenges brought by the pandemic.” The first cohort of this program, which graduated in March 2021, included ten startups, four of which were women-led businesses.

The Startup Accelerator programme requires participants to be a technology-based startup in the MENA region who have also previously acquired seed funding. Google will evaluate the challenges applicant are facing and determine how it creates value to consumers. Google will also assess the startup’s willingness to utilize modern technology and solve business challenges in the long run.

Hussein AL Sarabi, cofounder and CTO of ‘Abwaab’ and participant of the first cohort said, “The Google for Startups Accelerator is an extremely valuable programme with a wide range of benefits for startups. By providing the opportunity to meet experienced mentors and take a range of different workshops, it introduces startups to important business and tech concepts that help set them up for success.”