Accelerate Africa is a pre-seed and seed-stage accelerator program dedicated to empowering Africa’s bold and visionary founders. The program focuses on supporting entrepreneurs in the earliest stages of building global businesses that address the continent’s most pressing challenges. Founded by Iyinoluwa Aboyeji and Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani, who have a proven track record of building, funding, and advising successful African startups, Accelerate Africa leverages hands-on operating experience to accelerate business growth. The program emphasizes five critical areas: storytelling, talent acquisition, business development, product development, and fundraising.
There is an emphasis on diverse backgrounds, abilities, languages, genders, ages, and ethnicities, with 40% of supported founders being women, ranging in age from their 20s to 60s.
Accelerate Africa runs multiple cohorts annually, each lasting 8 weeks and supporting up to 10 startups. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with specific deadlines announced for each cohort. Entrepreneurs seeking support are encouraged to apply when ready to engage in venture creation and scaling.
Target
Accelerate Africa primarily supports Early-Stage Startups developing innovative solutions across various sectors.
What’s on Offer
Accelerate Africa does not offer funding or take equity upon admittance into the program, participants gain access to a network of investors. Post-program, their affiliated fund, Future Africa, may invest alongside other investors, providing pre-seed or seed-stage checks ranging from $250,000 to $500,000, following standard investment processes, including due diligence and an investment committee vote.
Eligibility Criteria
- Startups should be at the pre-seed or seed stage, with a scalable business model and a clear path to revenue generation.
- Companies must offer innovative solutions that address significant market challenges and demonstrate the potential for substantial impact.
- A strong, dedicated, and diverse founding team with the necessary skills and experience to execute the business plan effectively.
- A clear understanding of the target market, including size, growth potential, and competitive landscape.
