Kenyan startups among firms set to get Google Sh5b funding

Kenya will be among five African countries to benefit from Google's outlined wave of artificial intelligence (AI) support across Africa, representing $37 million (Sh4.8 billion) in cumulative funding.

The money includes previously committed but unannounced funding to research, talent development, and infrastructure.

The package includes funding and partnerships that aim to strengthen AI research, support African languages, improve food systems, expand digital skills, and build research capacity.

Speaking about the announcements, Senior Vice President for Research, Labs, and Technology and Society at Google James Manyika said Africa is home to some of the most inspiring work in AI today. "We are committed to supporting the next wave of innovation through long-term investment, local partnerships, and platforms that help researchers and entrepreneurs build solutions that matter," he noted.

Vice President of Engineering and Research at Google Yossi Matias said the new wave of support reflects our belief in the talent, creativity, and ingenuity across the continent.

"By building with local communities and institutions, we're supporting solutions that are rooted in Africa's realities and built for global impact," he noted. These new initiatives build on Google's ongoing work across the continent.

The AI Collaborative for Food Security, a multi-partner initiative launched with $25 million (sh 3.25 billion) in funding from Google.org will bring together researchers and non-profit organisations to co-develop AI tools for early hunger forecasting, crop resilience, and tailored guidance for smallholder farmers.

The goal is to help make food systems across Africa more adaptive, equitable, and resilient in the face of increasing climate and economic shocks. Google also announced $3 million (Sh390 million) in funding to the Masakhane Research Foundation, the open research collective advancing AI tools in over 40 African languages.

The funding will support the development of high-quality datasets, machine translation models, and speech tools that make digital content more accessible to millions of Africans in their native languages. To empower innovation, Google is launching a catalytic funding to support AI-driven startups tackling real-world challenges.

This platform will combine philanthropic capital, venture investment, and Google's technical expertise to help more than 100 early-stage ventures scale AI-based solutions in agriculture, healthcare, education, and other vital sectors. Startups will also receive mentorship, access to tools, and technical guidance to support responsible development.