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.

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

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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