Meet first cohort of Google for Startups Growth Academy: Women in AI in MENA

Google today announced the first cohort of the Google for Startups Growth Academy: Women in AI program aimed at supporting high-potential AI startups based in the Middle East and North Africa.

Run in collaboration with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence and the Ministry of AI in the UAE, this six-week equity-free is aimed at providing women-led startups leveraging AI with essential growth skills, internationalization strategies, and Google tools to help them scale and innovate responsibly.

The program, which kicked off last week in Dubai, features a series of workshops, mentoring, and networking events to help founders develop data-driven strategies for acquiring new customers and partnerships, tools to innovate responsibly with emerging technologies and expand into new markets.

Meet the 10 women-led startups that have joined the first cohort of Google for Startups Growth Academy: Women in AI program in the MENA region:

• Chefaa (Egypt): A patient-centric, AI-powered and GPS-enabled platform connecting more than 1.5 million users with over 1500 pharmacies across Egypt.
• AISTHESIS (Qatar): A company building software algorithms to advance the understanding of sensory processing in children through wearable and ambient sensors.
• Vetwork (Egypt): A one-stop mobile app marketplace for high-quality pet care services at home.
• Zidyia LXP (UAE): A platform using AI and machine learning to create customised learning paths that empower educators with actionable data insights and engage with personalized education.
• Olive Gaea (UAE): A carbon accounting tool helping organizations reach decarbonization and net zero emissions.
• Intella (Saudi Arabia): A startup aiming to bridge the gap between global AI advancements and the Arab-speaking world through flagship services such as Intella Voice - a multi-dialect Arabic transcriber that converts speech to text.
• Sav (UAE): a goal-based savings and investing app designed to help users optimize savings, reduce debt and achieve financial dreams.
• Siira (Lebanon): A wellbeing platform that aims to raise awareness of daily life struggles through preventative education and harness the power of communities to enable individuals to live healthier lives.
• TAFFI (Saudi Arabia): An AI-powered styling-as-a-service platform that helps fashion businesses improve consumer engagement and drive sales through hyper-personalized experiences.
• EduPloyment (UAE): A global online recruitment platform focused on upskilling workers with English language and providing them access to better jobs