Telecel Group Africa Start-up Initiative Programme (ASIP), with Africa’s top early-stage tech Accelerator, Startupbootcamp Afritech, has selected the 10 tech start-ups that will participate in the inaugural ASIP Accelerator.
The programme received a record 2,229 applications and managed to narrow it down to the top 10, with the help of investors, corporate stakeholders and industry experts who took part in an intensive two-day selection process of 20 semi-finalists.
Founded by telecoms giant, Telecel Group and backed by key tech partners including AWS and Google Cloud Platform, ASIP aims to support the next generation of early-stage African tech start-ups disrupting key industry verticals that include FinTech, InsureTech, AgriTech, e-commerce, digital health and CleanTech. Telecel will provide the participating start-ups with access to markets through their mobile services across the continent.
Moh Damush, CEO and Founder of ASIP, Telecel Group, stated that: “We are thrilled to see the quality of the start-ups that participated in the final selection days and we hope that the finalists will thrive with what we have to offer them in terms of helping them scale faster and more efficiently.”
Eleanor Azar, Executive Deputy and ASIP Director, Telecel Group added: “The top 20 start-ups are all exceptional, it was a tough choice but we made it. We are looking forward to working with the top 10 and exposing them to our entities while helping them achieve their targets. I encourage the rest of the teams to apply again for our next cohort in 9 months.”
Azar said the company is honoured to announce that the following start-ups will be joining the 2021 ASIP cohort: Agrix, Agrodata, AGS Tribe, Dawa Health, Motito, NucleusIS, Thumeza, Ustacky, Weza Ventures and Worldbay Technologies.
Dale Mathias Advisor, ASIP, stated that: “I am pleased to have been able to participate in Telecel Group ASIP final selection days. The breadth of talent on display has been inspiring and I am grateful for the time that all participants took in preparation for this event.”
Starting July 5th 2021, participants will spend three months undergoing intensive coaching through expert-led masterclasses covering scaling fundamentals including the business model canvas, lean methodology and fundraising. They will each have exciting opportunities to run pilot projects with corporate partners to demonstrate the impact of their solutions and these often lead to commercial contracts that help our alumni to achieve 18 months of growth in just three months.
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, this year’s programme will be fully remote using the Accelerator Squared platform. This inaugural Telecel Group ASIP Accelerator powered by SBC AfriTech will culminate in an online demo day on September 30th, 2021 where start-up founders pitch their disruptive solutions to a broad audience of media, investors, corporate partners, and industry stakeholders.
In addition to customised support from experienced mentors and dedicated Entrepreneurs-In-Residence, the 10 start-ups will receive benefits valued at more than US$750,000, including credits and cash from Telecel Group, AWS, Google Cloud Services and many more.
“We have built a remarkable track-record with the 29 alumni that we have accelerated in the last three years – 88% are still operating and they have collectively raised more than US$90 million in follow-on funding,” said Philip Kiracofe, Co-Founder and Chief Disruptor, SBC AfriTech. “We’re thrilled to be launching the inaugural ASIP Accelerator with Telecel Group and are already hard at work with these 10 inspiring start-ups. We are confident that they will be the next superstars in their respective industries and are also excited that eight out of the 10 start-ups in this year’s cohort have one or more female co-founders.”
Telecel Group and SBC AfriTech have also introduced the ASIP Scale Programme, which is specifically designed for later stage scale-ups that can take advantage of access to commercial contracts and larger investors. The programme helps these companies explore pivots and new product offerings to amplify their existing traction and to expand into new regions in Africa, and beyond. The first companies invited to participate are Dove Air and Chekkit Technologies.
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