Steve Beck, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Novastar Ventures writes:
At Novastar, we have been backing entrepreneurs solving Africa’s toughest challenges for the last twelve years. Increasingly, we’re seeing AI tools become a critical part of how those solutions are built, delivered and scaled.
We believe Africa is one of the most important markets for applied AI anywhere in the world. The reason being that entrepreneurs there are using AI not merely for productivity gains or entertainment — they are solving fundamental problems for everyday people.
In fact, we’re already seeing the transformative effect of AI in action across our portfolio.
At Penda Health, AI-powered clinical support tools are improving diagnosis and treatment decisions, leading to better patient outcomes. At NewGlobe, advanced AI tools are being used to support teaching and learning at national scale, improving educational outcomes for millions of children and providing visibility and accountability in public services. And companies such as Agrails are using AI to help smallholder farmers access climate risk insurance for the first time, building resilience to climate change.
That’s why we’re proud to partner with Google AI Futures Fund (AIFF) for its inaugural Google Africa Applied AI Lab. By working alongside a pioneering, global AI leader we’re excited to help exceptional African entrepreneurs harness frontier technologies to scale their impact.
The Applied AI Lab
Working with AIFF, Google DeepMind, and Google Research, the Applied AI Lab will provide selected startups and researchers with early access to frontier models, technical mentorship, Google Cloud credits, and go-to-market support. Participants will also have access to potential equity and non-dilutive funding from Google, alongside support from Novastar, Ventures Platform, 4DX Ventures and Norrsken22.
The ambition is to support a generation of African founders building globally significant AI businesses.
Why this partnership matters
Founders in the Applied AI Lab will gain access to some of the world’s most advanced AI tools, technical expertise and research capabilities. At the same time, Google will better understand powerful new use-cases emerging from African markets, shaping how Google AI tools evolve and where they can create the greatest impact.
Novastar’s role
Our role is to help identify exceptional entrepreneurs and support them as they grow through networks, mentorship and operational guidance, alongside potential investment.
What comes next?
The Applied AI Lab launches publicly on July 1. Over the summer, we’ll help assess candidates for the first cohort of 5–10 startups and researchers, with the group announced in September.
If you’re a founder or researcher working at the intersection of AI and African markets (or know someone who is) we’d love to hear from you.
