5 current opportunities to consider for your startup

Africa’s fate depends on innovations that address the continent’s most critical matters while also creating products that appeal to the global market. To that end, accelerator programs facilitate and enable the transformation of home-grown solutions into global powerhouses. Various governments and organisations, including Eight2Five Innovation Hub, powered by Old Mutual has since introduced accelerator and incubator programs to promote innovation in startups. In this article, we bring together 5 opportunities you can take advantage of as we get to the close of the year.

1. Startupbootcamp AfriTech scouts for Africa Startup Initiative Accelerator Program Cohort 3

The ASIP Accelerator was established by telecoms behemoth Telecel Group powered by SBC AfriTech, and supported by partners including DER/FJ, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO), and ENRICH in Africa. 50 African startups have completed the SBC AfriTech Accelerator during the past five years. Selected participants will spend three months receiving rigorous coaching through masterclasses taught by industry experts on topics such as scaling basics, lean methods, and fundraising. The program will be held in Senegal and will culminate in a hybrid Demo Day when company founders will propose their revolutionary solutions to a large audience of journalists, investors, corporate partners, and industry stakeholders.

2. D-Prize funds start-up businesses that disseminate tested anti-poverty programs.

Can you design a new business or NGO that delivers a proven poverty intervention at scale? D-Prize is looking for submissions from young people with innovative organisational designs for a new organisation that solves any one of their Distribution Challenges. The challenges include health, water, education, public services, health, and agriculture. The most promising teams will receive up to $20,000 USD to start their own nonprofit anywhere there is extreme poverty. Applications close by the end of the day on November 6, 2022.

3. 2022 Call for Code Global Challenge

As part of the 5th annual Call for Code Global Challenge, innovators are invited to design and build an open-source solution to take on a sustainability issue. The Global Challenge is offering $285,000 in cash prizes and implementation assistance to enterprises that increase the ability to measure, evaluate, and act decisively on carbon emissions, clean energy, or food security. It will also fund supply chain transparency and traceability, biodiversity preservation and protection, and equal access to education and career opportunities. Applications are open until the 31st of October 2022 through their website.

4. YoungEd Africa Fellowships

By offering to finance participation in short courses, seminars, workshops, and conferences, the program strives to promote capacity building, continual learning, and professional growth. Empower education professionals to develop their knowledge and skills for better education delivery and future readiness. Scholarships are awarded for capacity building, and community support through the 9-month YoungEd Africa Fellowship Programme to enhance professional development in several career tracks in the Education sector. Applications are open to Africans residing in Africa; between 20 – 40 years of age who have obtained a certificate or degree in any education-related field.

 

5. World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Awards Program 

The WISE Awards recognize and promote six successful and innovative projects that address global educational challenges each year. WISE has received over 4,900 applications from over 150 countries since 2009. Applications and nominations are welcome for any ongoing or existing educational projects managed by any type of organisation, including public and private colleges and universities, academic networks, school consortiums, community and civil society organisations, governments, international organisations, and private-sector businesses engaged in the field of education. The benefits for the winning projects include US$20,000 prize money, WISE communication and marketing, and access to summits among other things.  Former winning project representatives have been active in other WISE projects through mentoring, selection process participation, and fellowship programs.

We hope you found this blog helpful and wish you the best in your business and the opportunities you choose to pursue. We are pleased that recently at least one agri-fintech startup, Umojalands applied to one of the opportunities we shared in July and they were successful. They were selected as one of the 50 best fintechs of 2022 by the Inclusive Fintech 50. May you consider these opportunities seriously and please keep following Eight2Five Innovation Hub on our social media platforms for more opportunities, industry news, and events.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *