Four Kenyan technology startups have secured places in the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, chosen from a highly competitive pool of nearly 2,600 applications. Comana, Duck, ReportsAI, and VunaPay are among the final pan-African group of 15 companies, achieving an acceptance rate of less than 1% that underscores the depth of technical talent emerging from Kenya’s digital ecosystem.
The selected Kenyan startups are each leveraging artificial intelligence to address critical local and regional challenges. Comana builds technology that helps governments and market associations digitize informal food markets. Duck provides a real-time data intelligence platform giving consumer brands instant shop floor visibility to prevent stockouts. ReportsAI enables impact organizations to transform raw data into institutional knowledge and compliance-ready reporting through an AI-first platform. VunaPay develops fintech and data infrastructure for cooperatives, enabling instant payments and financial services for smallholder farmers.
Brandspur Brand News Desk reports that Hafsah Jumare, CEO of Kenyan-based Comana, noted that most food trade across Africa happens in traditional markets, which 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,” Jumare said. “Even in the first week, the technical mentorship and network provided have already been valuable in sharpening how we approach this.”
Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem for Google Africa, expressed enthusiasm for the incoming founders. “African startups are driving essential economic growth and social development,” Aiyegbusi said. “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.”
The hybrid program runs from April 13 to June 19, 2026, offering the 15 startups dedicated guidance from experienced mentors and industry experts alongside hands-on technical workshops focused on AI and machine learning. Since launching in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 106 startups from 17 African countries, empowering them to collectively raise over $263 million and create more than 2,800 jobs.
