Hi Ayodele here,

Africa’s AI journey is entering a new phase, shaped by collaboration, investment, and practical application. From Google’s support for AI-focused startups to global efforts like the UNDP-backed AI hub, the continent is building momentum with intention.

This edition captures how AI is being deployed with purpose, tailored to local contexts, and positioned as a key driver of sustainable growth.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• AI takes center stage in latest Google for Startups Africa cohort

• Italy and UNDP launch AI Hub to drive sustainable development in Africa

• Africa Technology Expo 2025 spotlights enterprise AI in Lagos

Around Africa

AI takes center stage in latest Google for Startups Africa cohort

Google has just unveiled 15 exceptional startups selected for The Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9. This highly anticipated cohort was chosen from nearly 1,500 applications, showing the incredible depth of talent within the African tech scene. These innovators, hailing from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, are set to tackle critical challenges across diverse sectors, including fintech, agritech, healthtech, and professional services.

Notably, 10 of the 15 startups are leveraging AI at their core, reflecting the continent’s growing emphasis on smart, data-driven solutions. From June 23rd to August 22nd, 2025, these chosen startups will take part in a hybrid program aimed at fast-tracking their progress through mentorship, training, technical assistance including up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits, and broad networking opportunities.

Why This Matters
This latest cohort represents a significant leap forward for AI development across Africa. By focusing heavily on startups that are deeply integrating AI into their solutions, Google is not only supporting individual businesses but also catalysing the broader adoption and responsible application of this transformative technology on the continent. This initiative will empower founders to build more robust, scalable, and impactful solutions that can genuinely address Africa's unique challenges. It clearly positions Africa as a vital hub for AI innovation, demonstrating that local ingenuity is at the forefront of shaping a technologically advanced and inclusive future.

Italy and UNDP launch AI Hub to drive sustainable development in Africa

On June 20, a major new platform called the AI Hub for Sustainable Development officially launched in Rome. This first-of-its-kind hub is a joint effort by Italy's Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and leaders from governments and private sectors across Africa, the European Union, and the G7. Its main goal is to speed up industrial growth in Africa driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

It's supported by 14 partner countries in Africa and aims to strengthen AI foundations like green computing, data, and talent to boost private-sector-led growth and bring prosperity to all.

Why It Matters:

The launch of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development is a huge step for Africa's AI future. It directly tackles a critical need by building core AI foundations like computing power, data, and skilled talent on the continent, rather than just transferring existing tools. This initiative means Africa can create its own AI solutions that truly fit local challenges and global markets, moving beyond older aid models to real partnerships. By bringing together African, European, and G7 leaders and resources, the Hub helps position Africa as a major player in responsible AI development. This will drive significant industrial growth, create jobs, and ensure that the benefits of AI help build a more inclusive and technologically advanced Africa.

Africa Technology Expo 2025 spotlights enterprise AI in Lagos

The 2025 Africa Technology Expo (ATE) took place on June 21 in Lagos, drawing over 4,000 tech executives, innovators, and C-suite leaders from 15+ countries. Prominent sessions centered on hardware, telecoms, software, and frontier technologies, with a strong focus on AI solutions tailored for African enterprises.

Discussions highlighted AI-powered credit scoring, logistics, health, and energy systems, emphasizing local-first deployments backed by enterprise partnerships

Why This Matters

By spotlighting real-world AI applications within enterprise environments, ATE 2025 helped shift the narrative from buzz to business. The event showcased how AI can drive tangible outcomes like smarter supply chains and predictive analytics positioning Africa not just as an AI consumer but as an innovator building solutions aligned with the continent’s unique needs.

Other Developments

Lagos Hosts AI Infrastructure Roadshow
Lagos welcomed top tech leaders for the AI Solutions Innovation Roadshow organized by Vertiv, Africa Hyperscalers, and Turner & Townsend. The event focused on building Africa’s digital infrastructure to support enterprise AI adoption. Discussions tackled challenges in computing power, energy use, cooling, and scalability. Key sectors represented included banking, telecoms, manufacturing, and oil and gas. The goal was to shift from AI hype to practical, locally relevant solutions.

Cape Town’s Open Access Energy Secures $1.8M
Open Access Energy raised $1.8 million to scale EnergyPro, its AI-powered platform for renewable electricity trading.
The tool enables energy wheeling and uses AI for real-time forecasting, metering, and risk management.
OAE aims to support South Africa’s shift from coal to clean energy with smarter, scalable grid solutions.

Around the world

YouTube AI Overviews

YouTube now offers Premium users AI-generated summaries and curated video carousels for search queries, live on iOS and Android. It also tests chat-based help for non-Premium users in the U.S. to improve discovery and engagement. The goal is to make search more intuitive and time-efficient for mobile viewers.

Google’s Doppl Outfit Visualizer

Google released Doppl, a mobile AI app that lets users see how outfits might look on them. By uploading an image and trying virtual clothes, users can preview styles before purchasing. The app uses generative AI to enhance online shopping with personalized visual experiences.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• Gen AI as a Local Opportunity in Africa

  AI is not just for the global North. In a new essay, Nigerian founder Opeyemi Awoyemi highlights how affordable generative AI tools are creating real business opportunities across Africa from voice-prompted invoices for market sellers to personalized career coaching at scale. With mobile phones and internet access, anyone can build simple AI-powered services that solve everyday problems. Read the full piece: Gen AI in Africa – Essay 1 by Opeyemi Awoyemi

• AI Is Flooding Job Applications

  A New York Times feature highlights how AI tools are overwhelming job platforms with auto-generated resumes and video interviews. Recruiters now face a surge in applications—up 45% on LinkedIn—making it harder to spot genuine candidates. The hiring process is becoming a battle between bots on both sides.

  Read the full article: A.I. Sludge Has Entered the Job Search – NYT DealBook

• AI Agents Transforming Work at FlightStory

  In a company-wide challenge led by Steven Bartlett, FlightStory teams competed to create AI agents that automate tasks across departments. In just 60 days, 100% participation unlocked 65,284 hours in productivity and saved $1.18 million. Instead of hiring, teams used AI agents as teammates, shifting hiring criteria toward adaptability and creativity.

  Read more: Steven Bartlett on FlightStory’s AI Agent Competition

Seen This?

AI video generation models are now producing increasingly realistic results. In the past, many of these models had trouble capturing how the world works, often producing videos with issues like vanishing objects or poor object alignment. What stands out in the video below is how difficult it is to spot these common flaws.

Upcoming African AI Events

IndabaX Malawi 2025
Date: July 17-18, 2025 
Location: ODeL Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi 
Theme: Engaging Citizen Science and AI for Biodiversity Preservation and Restoration 
Link: indabax-malawi

Africa AI Conference 2025 
Date: August 4-8, 2025 
Location: JW Marriott Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya 
Theme: Where Innovation, Ethics, and Opportunity Converge (Focuses on ethical AI, data governance, inclusive policy, and talent building) 
Link: Africa AI conference/ 

DSN AI Bootcamp 2025
Dates: Ongoing (Pre-learning phase)
Location: Nigeria (residential Bootcamp location to be announced)
Theme: Africa’s top 200 AI talents will undergo intensive training, mentorship, and networking in a fully-funded, career-transforming experience.
Link: DSN AI Bootcamp 2025

AI Opportunities

• Black in AI - AI’s Emerging Leaders In AI Grad Prep Program.

• 3MTT – AI Training and Linkedin Scholarships

• AfriDam AI – AI/ML Engineer (Remote, Africa)

• Impact Africa Network – Machine Learning Developer (Remote, Africa)

• WaveSix Labs – Lead AI Engineer (Remote, South Africa)

• Ampersand – Machine Learning Engineer (Kigali, Rwanda)

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