A List Of Startup Accelerators In Africa

In Africa, accelerators are not compulsory in building successful startups. Founders who have large network of investors or those passionate about executing quickly may consider accelerators a complete waste of time. In any case, the startup journey is not a straight-line destination; the vagaries of the society, the founder’s resilience, previous and continuing experience, and a host of other factors, largely shape the journey. Even startups funded by VCs, most times, equally have access to useful resources from the investors, who usually sit on the startups’ boards by virtue of their investments. Nevertheless, while they exist, accelerators are still a strong force in attempting to bridge the funding gap for startups on the continent.

list startup accelerators Africa
Countries with top VC funding in Africa 2019. Source: African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association 2019 VC report

Find a list of the few active startup accelerators on the continent, below:

list startup accelerators Africa list startup accelerators Africa list startup accelerators Africa

S/NNAME OF ACCELERATORLOCATIONFOCUSDIRECT FUNDING   NOTABLE AFRICAN STARTUP GRADUATES
1Founder InstitutePalo Alto, USA.Pre-seed Stage. NoDigiFi (Egypt)
2BetratonHong KongStartups seeking to expand to Asia.YES OkHi; ThankUCash
3ChangelabsCyprusAccelerates mostly  North African startups.YES Hospitalia; El-Dokan
4OpennerUSAEgypt; Pre-seed; Seed.YES Recently launched.
5Google Business Startup AcceleratorUSAEarly Stage. NOCrop2Cash (Nigeria); Curacel (Nigeria).
6Start Path Accelerator, Mastercard.USAReg-tech; Fintech. NOuKheshe (South Africa)
7F-Lane AcceleratorBerlin, GermanyFemale founders. NOBidhaa Sasa
8Flat6Labs AcceleratorEgyptSeed.YES Logistics startup ILLA; Instabug (Egypt); Dabchy (Fashion, Egypt)
9Catalyst Fund accelerators (Inclusive Digital Accelerator, etc)USAEarly stage; African startups.YES Sokowatch; ChipperCash; Cowryrise
10“I’M IN” AcceleratorSouth AfricaSouth Africa; Female founders.YES MomSays; Droppa; Lightbulb Education.
11Akro AccelerateSouth AfricaSouth African startups.YES DentX (Insurtech, South Africa)
12FoodTech Africa AcceleratorNorwayKenya-based Agritech enterprises.YES iFarm360 (Kenya); Ecodudu (Kenya); Digicow (Kenya)
13FRAGG Impact Growth AcceleratorNigeriaWest Africa-based startups.YES  
14DIFC Fintech HiveUAEAfrican startups in fintech; Insurtech; Islamic fintech.YES Amplified Payment System (Nigeria)  PaySky (Egypt)
15Facebook Accelerator (Community, Commerce)USAInvests in community-focused, commerce and other early stage startups.YES BoxCommerce; ShoppingFeeder.
14HsevenMoroccoAfrican startupsYES  
15I & P Accelerate, Investisseurs & PartenairesEUStartups in Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Côte d’Ivoire; Gambia;  Guinea;  Ghana; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Chad; Togo and Senegal.YES  
16First Digital Startup Accelerator, ForbesUSANigerian startups.YES  
17Land Accelerator AfricaKenyaAgritechs aimed at land preservation.YES  
18Innovate Ventures AcceleratorSomaliaEarly stage.YES  
19Falak Startups AcceleratorEgypte-health; Fintech; Logistics; 3D Printing; Remote work and ed-tech fields.YES  
20Google’s Accelerator program on Sustainable Development GoalUSAStartups working on SDGs. NO 
21Africa Transformative Mobility AcceleratorKenyaKenyan and Ugandan mobility startups.YES SafariShare; Easy Matutu; Zembo Motorcycle.
22Grindstone AcceleratorSouth AfricaSouth African startups.YES WhereIsMyTransport; OneCart; Sentian (IoT, South Africa)
23Village Capital Agriculture Africa Accelerator.USAAfrican startups.YES Complete Farmer; Reelfruit
24Vodacom Digital Accelerator, Vodacom; Smart LabTanzaniaMobile;  fintech;  media, health; education; and e-commerce startups in Tanzania.YES Smart Class; Hastag Pool; MYHI
25Seedstars Tanzania AcceleratorSwitzerlandStartups in Tanzania.YES Sheria Kiganjani (legaltech, Tanzania)
26The Baobab Network AcceleratorUKStartups in Congo; Democratic Republic of the, Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Rwanda; South Africa;  Nigeria; Zambia, Zimbabwe, engaged in Agribusiness; Clean technology; Education; Financial services; Healthcare.YES Kakbima; Gladepay
27Y CombinatorUSASeed stage; global accelerator.YES Paystack; 54gene; Helium Health
28AUC Venture Lab AcceleratorCairo, EgyptSeed Stage.YES SWVL; Agora
29JFN-IT E4 IMPACT AcceleratorDoula, CameroonEarly Stage. NO
30Catalyst Fund‘s Fintech AcceleratorUSAEarly Stage; Fintech.YES Turaco (Kenya)
31ARM AcceleratorChinaAI & IoT Startups.YES Kwaba (Kenya);
32Plug and Play Startup Accelerator Tech Center USAMorocco; Early stage; Smart city startups. NO
33Tachyon Accelerator, run by Consensys VenturesUSABlockchain.YES Elkrem (Egypt)
34Starfleet IncubatorSofia, BulgariaBlockchain.YES UTU Tech (Kenya)
35Binance LabsHong KongBlockchain.YES XEND Finance
36AlphaCode IncubateSouth AfricaEarly stage; fintech.YES Akiba Digital; ISpani Group; Nisa Finance.
37Start and Grow Your StartUp Accelerator, GIZTunisiaEarly Stage. NO 
38SeedstarsUSASeed; Early Stage Startups.YES Pezecha (Kenya); Chaka (Nigeria)
39MEST Africa (Pan African Fintech Accelerator, etc)GhanaEarly Stage startups;  Fintech.YES Shopa (Kenya); Tendo (Ghana); Amplify.
40DFS Lab AcceleratorSeattle, USA.Early stage startups with at least two co-founders; Ecommerce; Fintech.YES Cherehani Africa (Kenya),Nobuntu (South Africa),
41Orange Fab TunisiaTunisiaEarly Stage.YES Galactech (Tunisia)
42Passion IncubatorNigeriaEarly Stage. NO 
43Enterprise Development for Women-Owned Ventures in Green Energy, AWIEFSouth AfricaWomen-led cleantech startups in Malawi and Nigeria NO 
44Village Global AcceleratorSan Francisco, USAEarly Stage.YES Eden Life
45Google Launchpad  Accelerator AfricaUSASeed; Early Stage.YES Piggyvest; ThankUCash; Thrive Agric; Eversend (Uganda); Aerobotics
46VC4A Venture ShowcaseThe NetherlandsAll Stages.YES  
47Afrikhaliss-SugubaCote d’ivioireEarly stage startups in French-speaking West Africa.YES  
48Justice Accelerator, the Hague Institute for Innovation of LawThe NetherlandsLegaltechs  in Africa led by committed CEOs.YES Lenoma Legal; Luma Law
49500 Startups’ Global Seed Accelerator USAEarly stage startups.YES Shezlong (Healthtech, Egypt); Source Beauty (Egypt).
50Startup Wise Guys AcceleratorEUFintech startups in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.YES Paylock (Ghana)
51Greenhouse Lab AcceleratorNigeriaFemale-led startups in Africa.YES Doctoora (Nigeria); Vesicash (Nigeria)
52She Leads Africa AcceleratorSouth AfricaFemale-led startups Africa.YES DeliveryBros, Art Splash Studio, BathKandy Co.
53Egbank MINTEgyptFintech Startups Egypt.YES Shahry (Lending, Egypt)
54Startupbootcamp AfriTech AcceleratorSouth AfricaBlockchain; fintech startups.YES MPOST (Kenya); CredPal (Nigeria); GotBot (South Africa)
55Impulse AcceleratorMoroccoAgritech; Biotech; Mining tech; Nanoengineering  startups.YES Farmcrowdy (Nigeria); Coldhubs(Nigeria);Safi Organics (Kenya)
56Make IT AcceleratorKenyaBanking; Computer software; Creative, media and entertainment; E-commerce;  Internet, Mobile;  Telecom.YES Doctoora E-Health Ltd  DoLessons ; Embinix Automation ; Insight Africa    
57ItannaNigeriaSector-agnostic.YES Indicina Technologies
58GSMA Ecosystem AcceleratorUKTelecom.YES Coliba (Ivory Coast)
59EFG-EV FintechEgyptFintech startups.YES Raseedi (Telecom, Egypt)
60SOSV AcceleratorIrelandAll Stages.YES CanGo (shutdown; delivery  Rwanda)
61Wadi Accelerator, Oman Technology Fund (Partner 500 Startups)OmanEarly Stage; Seed.YES Bekia (Waste Management, Egypt)
62Antler Startup AcceleratorKenyaEarly Stage.YES ChapChapGo; AnyiHealth; Digiduka
63Founders Factory Africa (Venture Scale, etc)UKEarly Stage.YES Wella Health (Nigeria); Redbirth (Ghana); Truzo (South Africa)
64Pangea AcceleratorKenyaEarly Stage. NO
65Bongo HiveLusaka, ZambiaAll Stages. NO
66Savannah Fund AcceleratorKenyaSeed.YES 
67NESTKenyaSeed.YES 
68MMH AcceleratorKenyaGhanaian, Kenyan and Nigerian late-stage healthtech firms.YES 
69Technipole Sup – ValorYaounde, CameroonCameroon Startups. NO
70SW7Johannesburg, South AfricaEarly Stage NO
71Startup Reactor | InnoventuresEgyptEarly Stage. NO
72TIEC Entrepreneurship Accelerator Giza, EgyptEarly Stage NO 
73Norrsken  Impact AcceleratorSwedenEarly StageYES Kwara; Gradely

 

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer