Kenyan start-up picked for Google bootcamp in US

A local mobile-based start-up, Twiga Foods, which offers tech-enabled sourcing and distribution platform for agricultural produce to retail outlets in urban centres, has been selected for a Google support programme.

The start-up is among 33 others from around the world that will participate in this year’s Google’s Launchpad Accelerator programme.

The start-up supplies bananas, tomatoes, onions and potatoes to retailers and market traders in Nairobi.

The firm buys bananas from Meru and Taveta and potatoes are sourced from Timau, Narok and Eldoret.

At Twiga Foods Ltd, a vendor places an order and the firm delivers the produce the next day.

The selected start-ups will participate in a two-week bootcamp at Google headquarters in San Francisco from July 17 to 28, as well as six months ongoing support and mentorship, plus $50,000 (Sh5.15 million) funding.

“This time around, start-ups from Asia and Latin America will be joined by peers from Africa and Europe.

In addition to expanding our reach, we’re also expanding our curriculum. We’ll help the start-ups dig deeper into machine learning and AI, to help them leverage Google’s latest technologies to scale their apps,” Google announced in a post on the Google Developers Blog.

Launchpad Accelerator includes intensive mentoring from more than 20 Google teams and expert mentors from top technology companies and venture capital firms in Silicon Valley.

Participants get equity-free support, credits for Google products and continue to work closely with Google back in their home country during the six-month programme.

Launchpad Accelerator is currently working with start-ups in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Other start-ups from Africa are Jumo Marketplace (South Africa), and Delivery Science, Gidi Mobile Ltd, Flutterwave and Paystack from Nigeria.