US-based internet technology provider Google announced the 11 startups chosen for the first batch of its Google for Startups Accelerator, which focuses on sustainable development goals (SDGs), yesterday.
The five-month initiative received 1,200 applications from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Entrants were scrutinised against SDG criteria such as fighting poverty and fostering peace.
Google for Startups Accelerator begins on April 21 and participants will represent Germany, the UK, France, Kenya, Nigeria, Israel, the Netherlands and Pakistan. It will lend expertise on business, IT and SDG-related topics to startups, relying on digital systems during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The participants include biodiversity sensor developer Apic.ai, climate volatility forecaster Cervest.earth, emergency response support provider Flare, air quality monitor developer Everimpact and Ellipsis.earth, creator of a plastic pollution tracking system.
Chronic disease care provider mDoc, wildfire detection platform developer Ororatech, employment portal Skilllab, agricultural renewable energy producer Solar Freeze, crop insurance provider OKO and Wondertree, creator of an app that helps digital cognitive development were also selected.