Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech is inviting high-growth start-ups in the tech industry to enter the third edition of the accelerator programme.
Founded in 2010, SBC AfriTech is endorsed by corporate sponsors, including RCS, BNP Paribas Personal Finance, Old Mutual, Nedbank and PwC.
The three-month accelerator programme seeks innovative early-stage start-ups from all industries, which have developed solutions focused on creating a positive change in Africa.
It aims to encourage and support entrepreneurship on the continent, by providing start-up owners with entrepreneurship skills and development support.
The programme will culminate with the annual Startupbootcamp AfriTech Demo Day conference in Cape Town in May, when the top 10 start-ups will showcase their innovations to over 200 investors and corporate leaders, and potentially secure pilot agreements and funding.
"Through Startupbootcamp's expansion to numerous countries in Europe, Asia and America, and now Africa, it's clear the accelerator movement has caught on quickly, showing demand for ongoing support in a globally growing entrepreneurial community," says Philip Kiracofe, Startupbootcamp founder and CEO.
The SBC AfriTech FastTrack Tour for 2019 will cover 19 events in 14 countries. Attending a FastTrack will boost the participants' chances of joining SBC AfriTech's intensive three-month programme by 20%, according to the accelerator.
FastTracks are informal events hosted all over the world. The aim is for the SBC team, mentors and sponsors to have the opportunity to meet the most suitable early-stage companies interested in joining the 2019 programme.
For each FastTrack, the top 10 start-ups to apply will receive instant feedback from a panel of industry mentors, be able to network with the SBC investment team and learn more about the SBC AfriTech, adds the accelerator.
"The SBC AfriTech FastTrack Tour for 2019 is an open canvas for forward-thinking start-ups to initiate a shift in traditional thinking, while networking with hundreds of other innovative, like-minded people wanting to set new benchmarks in the African tech industry," explains Nsovo Nkatingi, AfriTech programme director.
In SBC AfriTech's first two years, 20 start-ups signed 52 pilots and commercial agreements with large corporations.
Mobility-as-a-service start-up Lula was one of the start-ups that successfully completed last year's edition of the accelerator. Over the course of the three months it spent at the SBC AfriTech programme, Lula completed four pilot projects in Cape Town, backed by some of the biggest corporations in SA. The start-up is now raising its first formal investment round.
Interested start-ups can click here to find the FastTrack nearest to them and submit their application.
The application process for the FastTracks is currently open and applications to join the accelerator will open on 20 February.
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