Applications are now open for the upcoming cohort of Accelerate Africa, a 12-week program designed to help African founders build scalable businesses from the ground up. Tailored to the realities of operating on the continent, the program supports startups through structured guidance across five key areas: storytelling, team building, go-to-market, product development, and fundraising.
Who it's for
The program is built for co-founding teams tackling major challenges in Africa, whether you're refining an MVP, gaining first traction, or preparing to raise capital. A co-founder is required to apply, with preference given to balanced teams that include female founders.
Program format
- Duration: 12 weeks
- Cohort size: 10 founders
- Format: Remote with in-person Welcome Week and Demo Day Week
- Investment: Optional post-program investment of $250K–$500K from Future Africa
What you'll work on
Founders receive hands-on support in five core areas:
- Crafting a mission, vision, and narrative that resonate
- Building and leading a high-performing team
- Reaching your first $1M in revenue
- Developing products users rely on
- Raising from global investors at Demo Day
The program also offers legal, finance, and technical office hours, tailored to early-stage startup needs.
Why join
- Direct 1:1 coaching from advisors with experience building and scaling African companies
- Support from a peer community solving similar problems
- No equity taken on entry – optional investment comes after the program
- Connections to co-investors, corporate partners, and potential customers
Accelerate Africa has supported companies from over 50 countries, with past cohorts raising over $10M in capital.
Cohort 4 Timeline
- Applications open: June 23, 2025
- Applications close: July 19, 2025
- Final 10 announced: August 18, 2025
- Program starts (onsite): August 31, 2025
- Demo Day prep week: November 16, 2025
- Demo Days: November 20–21, 2025
- Next cohort applications open: December 2025
Program Team & Visiting Advisors
The program is led by Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani (Advising Partner, Kenya), V. Chinyere Inya (COO, Nigeria), Ifeoluwa Adepoju (Legal Advisor, Nigeria), Jonathan Ruwanika (Finance Advisor, South Africa), and Moses Sule (Advising Visiting Partner, SikaBox, United Kingdom) — a team with deep operating experience across African markets.
More info and application: acceler8.africa