The Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) is back for its second cohort. 2021’s edition received over 2000 applications from across the continent from which only 10 made the finals. Of those 10, were two Zimbabwean startups, Dawa Health (an e-health startup) and Thumeza (logistics) who went on to receive mentorship, collaboration opportunities and funding from ASIP and Telecel Group’s network.
Next year’s cohort looks to be picking up where the last left off as the ASIP is looking for early-stage startups with pilots or a proof of concept in the fields of:
- AgriTech & Supply Chain
- Fintech – Cross-Border Payments
- Health Wallets & Accessibility
- Blockchain Technology
- IoT (Internet of Things)
- Connectivity
- Machine Learning (Data Analytics) & Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Clean Tech
- RegTech
To be eligible for the program, your startup has to:
- Be formally incorporated
- Have at least 2 people working on the project and devoting at least 50% of their time to the project
- Generate revenue from products or services
- Have customers or clients using the products or services
Benefits of the program include:
- 3-Month Program: An intense 3-month program designed to support entrepreneurs scale their industry-changing technology businesses.
- Masterclasses: Expert-led sessions covering all scaling fundamentals – from business model canvas, lean methodology to fundraising
- Corporate Partners: Connections to the leading corporates in your industry for pilot projects, partnership opportunities, and as customers
- Global Network: Unmatched access to a global network of mentors, corporate partners, industry experts, and alumni across 40+ countries
- Tailored Mentorship: Over 1000 carefully selected mentors who provide hands-on support and valuable introductions
- Co-working Space: Free desks for your entire team in a dynamic co-working space for the duration of the 3-month program (pandemic depending)
- Living Expenses: €15K in cash per team to cover living expenses during the program
- Perks and Discounts: More than €500K+ in exclusive partner deals from leading technology providers such as Amazon, HubSpot, SendGrid, and others
- Alumni Growth Program: Continued post-program support far after the 3-month program through annual alumni only events, deals and tailored introductions
- Industry Events: Exclusive opportunities to take part in leading Commerce conferences and events
- Investor Access: Meet the most active VCs and Angel investors in your industry from around the world
- Demo Day: A day to celebrate your achievements during the program with 400+ investors, corporates, mentors and press attendees.
Upon the conclusion of the program, startups will gain access to ASIP’s extensive Global Alumni Network. Moreover, teams will be invited to the ‘SBC NXT’ Alumni support program, through which they will be provided with 8 relevant Alumni services throughout the lifetime of the startups and beyond.
Applications for the Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Cohort 2 close on the 28th of January 2022 and you can find the form with the link below:
