SWAPafrica gets selected for Google for Startups, an SDG advisory program!

Few days ago, we received an exciting email; SWAPafrica had been accepted into the Google for Startups, an SDG advisory program for SDGs oriented startups on all aspects of business for sustainability! In this program, SWAPafrica will benefit from Google’s advisors on various aspects of the business and thus be able to execute better and move forward. Additionally, we will make many more networks and, possibly, some partnerships! Anyway, this is good for SWAPafrica, the online marketplace for skills and services. See the screenshot of the exciting email!

But what is Google for startups, SDG Advisory Program?

Well, in brief, this is Google’s new way of supporting sustainable development goals. In this new program, Google is leveraging on its employees and resources to empower SDG oriented businesses. According to the program’s details, selected companies will benefit from the 1:1 advisory or mentorship program on all aspects of business. Additional benefits include, workshops and roundtable talks, and possible collaborations or partnerships or networks with other entrepreneurs. Brief details in the screenshot below:

How SWAPafrica got into Google for Startups SDGs advisory program!

Surprisingly, Google didn’t put up the call publicly. Neither did ‘they’ (Google) reach out to individual companies. Instead, Google worked through some investment or startup support companies and asked them to nominate some of the companies they were working with. Fortunately, our partner, UNCAP, happened to be among the startup support companies Google reached out to! And, more fortunately, of all the companies in UNCAP’s portfolio, SWAPafrica was lucky to be among those they nominated. So, one day, our friends (or partners) at UNCAP sent us an email; they had nominated SWAPafrica for Google for startups, and our job was to simply send in our application to Google! See the exciting nomination email screenshot below:

Without wasting anytime, we sent in our application. And, fortunately, Google accepted us! After getting selected, the next was an onboard meeting for all the startups in the program (see screenshot below).

READ THIS TOO: How SWAPafrica got selected for UNCAP Entrepreneurship support

And on Thursday 29th 2021, the onboard meeting happened. In other words, we have officially started the program! The starting is exciting. I saw about 58 startups online during the meeting. And I am sure there are many more that couldn’t be available today, implying we are surely a big group and we will learn a lot from each other (see screenshots for Thursday’s onboard meeting via Google Meet) and maybe form collaborations and partnerships.

As SWAPafrica, we are excited about this and we are praying that we use it to our advantage and develop even more. God be with us.

We thank our partner, UNCAP, for surely thinking about us and considering nominating us. Without you guys, we wouldn’t be here. And we thank you for your all other support. Thank you UNCAP. And we thank Google, especially the team behind the program, Google for Startups SDGs advisory program, for considering SWAPafrica as one of the beneficiaries of the program. We hope to be avail and utilize all the opportunities and resources you are availing to us. Thank you.

And for SWAPafrica team members, all I can say is it is time to work and utilize this opportunity. Times are hard and we have some real hiccups in our business, but let’s not give up and move forward. With this Google advisory service, we can do more and better, and help make this world a better place. And all SWAPafrica users, keep coming; more and better is on the way. God bless you all.