Google has restated its commitment to the start-up ecosystem in Africa, announcing the opening of applications for the sixth class of the Google for Start-ups Accelerator programme and the launch of new developer scholarships in partnership with Pluralsight and Andela.

The announcements were made during a virtual event at which Google hosted key industry players, policy leads, start-up executives and investors driving the growth of Africa’s tech ecosystem.

They reviewed opportunities unfolding throughout the Internet economy, paying special attention to the support of developers and start-ups in the region.

Applications for the sixth cohort of Google for Start-ups Accelerator, a three-month programme that is slated to start on June 21, 2021, will be open until May 14.

The online programme, which includes three intensive virtual training boot camps, mentorship and Google product support, is open to applications from 17 countries across Africa, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The aim is to support the growth of startups through their crucial growth phases. For Google’s new developer scholarships, Android, Web and Google Cloud scholarships are being offered to beginner and intermediate developers resident in Africa. A total of 40,000 scholarships will be offered to developers, spread across mobile and cloud development tracks.