Umbono by Google – Google Jump Start Your Idea

Have a question?

We have listed the top most asked questions below, if you feel your question(s) is not covered here, feel free to drop us an email: umbonoza@gmail.com.

How do I apply?

Our application window is closed at the moment.

Will I get feedback on my application?

Due to the sheer number of applicants we cannot provide personal feedback to everyone who applies. We will however let you know the status of your application once it has been reviewed.

Where else is Google doing this?

This is a pilot program in South Africa only.

What kind of teams are you looking for?

We’re looking for people who are passionate about technology and committed to their business idea. Teams should be willing to see their idea through to prototype -- or, if they already have a business, be prepared to push their product to the next level -- and have the technical skills to be able to do so. Beyond that, teams must have the the vision to scale their prototype or product to a regional or global business.

I’m not a team/I’m not technical. Can I still apply?

Yes, but we prefer teams, and we would discourage single individuals from applying if they do not have a technical (computer programming) background. While it is always helpful to have team members who are commercially-oriented, the majority of team members should have a technical background.

We're already a company/We've already received funding. Can we still apply?

Yes, you can still apply, especially if you think you can benefit from mentorship and networking for continued business development.

What if we already have a prototype/demo version completed?

If you think your team can benefit from continued product development mentorship, commercialization mentoring or business networking, please submit your idea and describe what stage your company is in (as an attachment to the application via umbonoza@gmail.com).

What does Umbono mean?

Umbono is the isiZulu word for “vision” or “idea”.

Can I apply with multiple ideas?

Yes, you could submit multiple applications, although please be advised that it would be better to submit one strong application rather than several average ones. So, be thoughtful: if you have 2 very strong ideas and the team could execute both successfully, then we will give both full consideration.

Do I need to have a business plan already?

No, you do not need to have a business plan; just an idea, a team, and your thoughts on the business execution around the product.

Do we need to be South Africans?

All team members should be able to legally reside and work in South Africa in order to apply to the program (regardless of their citizenship).

Is there an age limit or minimum?

No, we won’t discriminate based on age; however, you must be 18 years of age or older as outlined in the Programme Terms and Conditions.

How will you decide which teams to select?

A selection committee will consist of Angel investors and Google. Teams will be asked to fill out a short application form on www.google.co.za/umbono and will be selected based on a number of criteria, commercial potential of their business idea, applicability and suitability to regional and global needs, and skills to bring the idea from concept to execution. More details are available in the Programme Terms and Conditions.

Who gets a stake in our company? How much equity do we have to give up for the money received?

Specific terms of investment between angels and entrepreneurs have not been pre-determined; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis. However, we anticipate that participating angels will engage with all teams in Umbono on the same general terms of investment: for $50k in funding received, the equity stake transfer would be 10%. Once defined, all equity and/or grants will be fully transparent in their terms (between the teams and the investors). Google will not take an equity stake.

Who are your Angel investors?

We will not be publicizing the names and details of our Angel investors without their express permission. A typical Angel with Umbono will be a tech savvy entrepreneur with an established track record in the industry.

Will Google further invest in or buy the companies?

Any investor or company would be able to further invest in or buy the companies. However, at the point in time teams finish participating in the Umbono program, the level of investment would typically be either another round of seed capital or Series A venture capital. We hope that the Umbono program will bring more attention to the great work coming out of South Africa and will encourage local venture capitalists to pursue investment opportunities with these entrepreneurs. To this aim, the Umbono program will strive to introduce successful teams to a set of venture capital firms interested in further funding beyond the initial 6 months.

What does Google get out of this?

Google aims to get more users in Africa online by developing an accessible, relevant, and sustainable internet ecosystem. We want to reduce access as a barrier to all potential users and make the Internet relevant and useful to Africans across the region. The Umbono program is designed to assist on all of these fronts.

How is this different from Google Ventures?

Umbono aims to support and facilitate the local tech ecosystem in South Africa by helping build internet & mobile-based solutions to local problems, which also have regional/global appeal. Google Ventures is the global venture capital arm of Google Inc. that invests in a wide variety of sectors, including consumer Internet, software, mobile and even biotech. Google Ventures aims to invest about $100 million a year, with deal sizes ranging from seed investments as small as a hundred thousand dollars to late-stage investments of tens of millions of dollars. So the scope of these two programs is quite different.

Why Cape Town?

Cape Town is in the process of positioning itself as a hub for innovation and technology, as evidenced by: the Cape IT Initiative, the Bandwidth Barn, the presence of a growing tech industry in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, strong University computer science programs (UCT Stellenbosch, UWC, CPUT, etc), and the formation of the Silicon Cape network. We feel that all of these factors are key to the development of a sustainable, entrepreneurial environment in the technology sector.

Do we have to live in Cape Town?

We strongly believe that innovation comes from the sharing of ideas and we see Umbono as being a hub for ideas as well as support for implementation of those ideas. As such, we expect the selected teams to be able to take up residence in Cape Town and conduct their work onsite as much as possible.

Do we have to move to Cape Town?

We strongly believe that innovation comes from the sharing of ideas and we see Umbono as being a hub for ideas as well as support for implementation of those ideas. As such, we expect the selected teams to be able to take up residence in Capetown and conduct their work onsite as much as possible to benefit from the networking opportunities as part of the Umbono program.

Will you sign an NDA?

No, we will not be signing any NDAs. We have looked at many other similar programs in the industry, and and it is not common practice to sign NDAs at the elevator pitch stage. Also, it’s not just about the idea, it’s about the team who can execute on that idea. We hope to have many, many teams apply to the program and expect that some ideas will be similar, and we need to be able to quickly screen teams without legal hurdles.

How can I become an investor or mentor?

Please reach us at: umbonoza@gmail.com