Accelerate Africa

What a Start to the Year! 🌍⚽ Q1 has been nothing short of breathtaking. Since our launch last year, Afriskaut has expanded at lightning speed into five countries: Nigeria, Gambia, Senegal, Ghana, and Cameroon. We are now collecting full match videos and data from over 500 football academies across the continent. Our message is simple and clear: If you want to discover African talent before anyone else and stay ahead of the competition, you need to be using Afriskaut. I took this message to Italy during the historic Viareggio Cup, a prestigious tournament that has been in existence for 75 years. Afriskaut proudly sponsored two African teams from our database, and they made headlines by defeating Italian giants Genoa. I had the honor of speaking directly to Sporting Directors and Heads of Recruitment from some of Europe’s top clubs, presenting Afriskaut 2.0. The response was beyond my imagination. Our AI-driven player recommendations and advanced filtering system which allows scouts to find players tailored to their needs was met with a resounding applause. Today, dozens of top clubs across the world are actively using our platform. And we’re just getting started. We're committed to expanding our reach to more talent-rich hotspots across Africa and continuing to build the most advanced scouting platform the world has ever seen. Q2, we’re coming for you!

Do you have your tickets for Invest in the Future Summit taking place on May 2nd? In about 4 weeks, we'll be in Lagos, Nigeria with our AA3 cohort Our summit theme this year is focused on how we can build a self-sustaining ecosystem, catalyzed by local capital from local investors - join us virtually or in person! RSVP now -> https://lu.ma/mzyckglw Rewinding a few weeks back to welcome week where it all started for AA3 in Nairobi - alongside our team Chinyere, Iyinoluwa, Ifeoluwa, Iwinnosasevhonken, Jonathan, & Mia .. MAJOR thanks goes to our visiting partners coaching the founders on their path towards $1m in revenue from welcome week and beyond: Bode Abifarin, CEO & Founder of Strata, Former COO of Flutterwave Feyi Olubodun, CEO & Managing Partner of Open Squares consulting Joy Omoregie, GTM Acceleration Lead - EMEA, AWS Generative AI Innovation Ken Njoroge, Co-Founder / Director Cellulant, Co-Founder Pani Moses Sule, Co-Founder & CCO of SikaBox, ex: GTM / Sales at Opay, DLocal, Flutterwave We're also grateful for all of the guest speakers and hosts from welcome week, including John Gachora, Andrew Firman, CFA, Sarah Firman, Eric Osiakwan, 42Geeks, Enza Capital, Nairobi Business Angel Network - it truly takes a village RSVP for Invest in the Future Summit on May 2nd -> https://lu.ma/mzyckglw

Years ago, when I was starting out in the AI world, I came across a profound piece of research from Google indicating that one empowered woman in Africa directly impacts eight other people. I was astonished! Further digging into Michael Frese’s work reinforced how critical this demographic is—not just to the continent, but to the entire planet. This realization has guided much of my career in building cutting-edge AI and data tools aimed at empowering women. By uplifting this group, we help uplift the world—and create lasting, positive change. Today, I’m thrilled at how we’re driving sustainable impact at scale for millions of women through agrails and the technologies we continue to build. From enabling carbon credits and sustainability compliance, to expanding financial inclusivity through climate finance (lending and insurance) in partnership with others, we are taking concrete steps toward a better future. I’m inspired by what the future holds—step by step, brick by brick. In the words of Tunde Onakoya: “We must win, but if we don’t win, we must show courage in our efforts.” Indeed, it is possible to do great things from a small place. Thank you, Team agrails, for all the wonderful work you’re doing and for helping shape our shared future. And yes, we now need to come out of stealth mode haha. Happy Women’s Year! What have you done to empower women this March? #WomensMonth #AI #Sustainability #ClimateFinance #FinancialInclusion #agrails #WomenInTech

#Incubators and accelerators are key drivers of deal flow in Africa’s startup funding ecosystem. They offer mentorship, #business support, and, in some cases, funding through equity or grants. Explore the infographic for some of the active programmes or click here for more data: https://lnkd.in/dG9A5abj Know a #founder who would benefit from this? Share or tag them!

Accelerate Africa AA3 cohort is officially underway following our recently concluded Welcome Week in Nairobi, Kenya. A huge shoutout to the advisors, guest speakers, partners, and vendors who made it all possible.   As we continue to build - we're documenting the journey. Check out our newly release mini-doc and let us know what you think. https://lnkd.in/eVAeiFZj   Also, if you haven't picked up tickets for Invest in the Future on May 2, book early! Our friends at AVCA - The African Private Capital Association and AfricArena are also hosting conferences that week, so there will be a lot of activity in Lagos - rsvp here: https://lu.ma/mzyckglw Ifeoluwa (Awodein) Adepoju, Iwinnosasevhonken Igiehon, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Jonathan Ruwanika CA(SA), Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani, V. Chinyere Inya, Bode Abifarin, Feyi Olubodun, Joy Omoregie, Ken Njoroge, Moses Sule, Future Africa

A few months ago, after weeks of trying to align schedules, I had the pleasure of interviewing Iyinoluwa Aboyeji —one of Africa’s foremost tech co-founders (Andela, Flutterwave, and Future Africa). In 2017, I was awarded an Andela/Google scholarship which helped me earn my first Android Development Certification, paving the way for job interviews after Uni and connections with amazing people like Ferdy and Chimdindu. I wouldn't have been able to afford this certification without Andela. Speaking to Iyin for the first time felt like a full-circle moment. I asked him about his entrepreneurial journey, challenges, experience leading in various industries without being a 'techie' or coder, top advice he's received, and how he's managed partnerships across these companies. Not only did he share insightful answers, but he also extended our chat and offered to connect me with future podcast guests. Iyin's journey from narrowly missing a tragic plane crash to co-founding 2 billion-dollar companies is inspiring. This episode is packed with lessons on sales, teamwork, and continuous learning, and I left the episode feeling like I understood Iyin a bit better—his growth, decision-making, and why faith, service, and incredible partnerships have been key to his success. The episode is live on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eDg8u8P4 Massive thanks to Iyin for his time, wisdom, and generosity 🙌🏾

It’s not every day that we get the opportunity to sit with one of the industry’s most visionary entrepreneurs and investors and ask Iyinoluwa Aboyeji anything! So when we did, we made sure to ask him about his perspective on angel investing in Africa, lessons from building billion-dollar companies, and what it really takes to scale successfully on the continent—and this is what he said. Key takeaways for Angel Investors: 🎯 Bet on founders, not just ideas: Markets change, business models evolve, but resilient founders find a way to win. Back people, not just pitches! 💡 Think like a founder, not just an investor: Angel investing isn’t just about writing checks—it’s about support, mentorship, and strategic guidance. The best angels deeply understand the founder’s journey. 🌍 Understand local market dynamics: Africa isn’t one market—it’s 54 countries, each with its own regulations, cultures, and infrastructure challenges. Do your homework! ⏳ Play the long game: Unlike Silicon Valley, exits in Africa take time. This isn't the right game if you’re in for quick returns. Focus on sustainable value creation. The key is long-term thinking—10 years, not 3-5. 🤝 Join an angel network or syndicate: Angel investing isn’t a solo sport—collaborating with other investors gives you better deal flow, shared risk, and stronger portfolio companies. 💰 Provide more than just capital: The best angels open doors, offer mentorship, and help with market access. Your impact goes beyond money! 🚀 The opportunity on the continent is massive, but so is the responsibility. If you’re considering angel investing in Africa, be patient, strategic, and willing to roll up your sleeves to help founders succeed. What’s the one thing you wish you knew (or would like to know) before making your first angel investment? Drop your thoughts in the comments! #angelinvesting #startups #Africa #investing #VC #entrepreneurship #innovation Future Africa Accelerate Africa Iyinoluwa Aboyeji Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani V. Chinyere Inya Nick Vilelle Nikki Germany Jacklyne Iminza-Anyamba Doreen Nabaho, Ph.D Ashish Patel Abigail Komu - Okonji Amit Dodhia Neha Shah Abdirizack Abdirahman Bare Yoann Copreaux Paul Breloff Fiona Ngaruro Gladys Kavuma Moritz Fichtl

We're looking for a Sales & Operations Associate to join our sales team as we scale the business and support SME exporters in accessing much-needed working capital. This role is a unique opportunity to work directly with me to drive user growth. If you're proactive, detail-oriented, and passionate about fintech and SME finance, we’d love to hear from you!

I always tell entrepreneurs to avoid traditional VCs as much as they can until they get to $1m in revenue. Find great angels or an accelerator who can help you to bring your product to life but most VCs are a complete waste of time before you hit $1m in revenue. At Accelerate Africa we help you to get to $1m in revenue within 12-18 months. Apply for the next batch starting in September on www.acceler8.africa

A year ago, we launched the beta version of Liquify platform, aiming to transform access to capital for Africa’s SME exporters. Today, we're excited to share how 2024 shaped up for us! 💎 Milestones: 1️⃣ Financed $1.4 million of receivables, creating vital working capital for SMEs. Our growth accelerated in Q4, after receiving our first institutional funding, allowing us to 2x ARR MoM since October. 2️⃣ Enabled quicker access to funding for SMEs by refining our credit and risk models, allowing them to scale their operations. - Accelerated cash flow by advancing funds within 2 days of invoice submission, significantly shortening the cash conversion cycle from 45-90 days. - Increased SME revenue by 20-30%, thanks to greater liquidity to fulfil larger orders. - 30% improvement in working capital turnover for exporters. 3️⃣ Drove social and economic impact: - Our customers grew their payrolls, with an avg. employment increase of 15-20% over the year. - Suppliers, including smallholder farmers, received more reliable and timely payments, enabling them to increase productivity and incomes by an average of 10-15%. - Exporters have been able to invest in sustainable production practices and, due to improved supply chain stability, win better contracts with larger buyers. 4️⃣ Platform is fully live, and we've been leveraging AI to automate customer onboarding and due diligence, reducing approval times from weeks to just 1-2 days. 5️⃣ Secured key relationships with impact-driven debt providers, positioning us for scalable and affordable funding, as well as with key distribution partners to expand our market reach. ⚡ Challenges: 1️⃣ Managing growth with limited resources: meeting growing client demand was a major challenge, emphasising the importance of building scalable systems and processes for the future. 2️⃣ Educating the market: many SMEs and smallholder farmers are still unfamiliar with factoring. We had to invest more time in client education to help them understand how it works and the benefits it offers. 💡 Key Lessons: 1️⃣ Patience and strategic focus drive long-term success. Our traction demonstrated that thoughtful scaling is more impactful than rushing to capture every opportunity, especially in a credit business. 2️⃣ Communication is key. Clear, consistent communication with stakeholders helped us navigate challenges and improve decision-making. 3️⃣ Technology is a game-changer. Automating manual processes with AI was key to improving efficiency, freeing up resources to focus on client support and growth. 🚀 What’s Next: As we look ahead, we're gearing up to expand into new markets, bring more SMEs into the Liquify family, and grow our digital infrastructure to increase transaction volume. We couldn’t have made it this far without our incredible team, investors, and partners - Andrea Godfred Folayemi Diego! Here’s to continued success in 2025 and beyond! 🥂 P.S. Several exciting announcements to come, so stay tuned!