Following the call for entries, the program received applications from close to 1,200 startups from Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The successful applicant from Pakistan is Wondertree, a startup that accelerates cognitive and motor development in children with special needs through a variety of movement based therapeutic and educational games (SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 10), The other selected startups are from France, Germany (2), Israel, Kenya (2), Netherlands, Nigeria, and the UK (2). Each startup founder will work closely with engineers from over 20 Google teams and other subject matter experts to address product, engineering, business development, and funding challenges. Since this accelerator is focused on sustainability, founders will learn these skills through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals and relevant partners. In order to keep the program safe and accessible in light of COVID-19, the first two on-site events will now be digital. Virtual training will cover topics such as creating Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), UX Research & Behavioral Economics, ML Data Pipelines and Data Visualization, SDG innovation for sustainable impact, and Strategies for Social Impact Fundraising. The five-month program kicks off on April 21st, and a second cohort will be selected later in the year. Google for Startups was created to support those who want to build something better—and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do, whether online or in real life. These are just a few of the many startups working locally on global solutions, and we’ll continue to bring Google’s resources to this entrepreneurial community.
