‍About Accelerate Africa

​Accelerate Africa is a pre-seed / seed stage accelerator program that runs 2 cohorts per year every 6 months for up to 10 startups, from across the continent to get support in areas such as storytelling, team development, go to market, product development, and fundraising. We get founders on the path to $1m in revenue within 18 months of completing the program. Our goal is to become the top program for African entrepreneurs looking for support and the pre-eminent accelerator for investors to attend and invest

The Fellowship Experience

This fellowship offers a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of Africa’s startup ecosystem. You will work alongside our team of seasoned investors and entrepreneurs, contributing your expertise to identify, invest in, and support the next generation of African innovators. It’s an unparalleled chance to pivot your career towards venture capital, with a focus on creating lasting impact across the continent.

What We Offer

Strategic Impact: Play a crucial role in shaping the future of innovation in Africa by supporting startups with the potential to solve critical challenges.

Career Transition: Seamlessly transition into the venture capital industry, backed by the knowledge and network of the Future Africa team.

Learning and Mentorship: Gain direct mentorship from leading figures in the industry and access to a comprehensive curriculum designed to hone your investment acumen.

Extensive Network: Join an esteemed community of investors, entrepreneurs, and change-makers making significant strides in Africa’s tech ecosystem.

Leadership Opportunities: Demonstrate your leadership capabilities by spearheading 

Key Contributions

Your responsibilities will be shaped by your background, expertise, and interest, designed to maximize your impact within our accelerator program. 

Example projects could include:

• Strategic Accelerator Growth: Directly support the core team in scaling Accelerate Africa into a global brand that has successfully accelerated some of the continent's most innovative companies. This could involve refining program models, enhancing operational efficiency, or expanding our ecosystem partnerships.
• Programmatic Deep Dive: Pick an area of critical importance to early-stage startups (e.g., Go-to-Market, Product Development, People & Operations, Fundraising Strategy, or Storytelling) and drive deep research and insights in these areas. This involves interacting with current cohort startups and ecosystem experts to define best practices, create actionable resources, and insights from research on what it means to succeed in these areas as an early stage startup.
• Portfolio Enhancement & Support: Develop and implement targeted support programs for our portfolio startups in a specific area, including building practical tools, recruiting specialized partners or mentors, and creating high-impact content and workshops.
• Angel Investor Engagement: Design and execute strategies to deepen relationships with angel investors, crafting compelling narratives around our startups, and designing immersive investor experiences to drive early-stage funding opportunities.
• Alumni Network Development: Strategically build and foster a thriving, value-driven alumni network. This includes designing engagement programs, facilitating peer-to-peer learning and collaboration among past cohorts, and leveraging alumni success to amplify Accelerate Africa's brand.
• Ecosystem Storytelling: Help us craft and amplify the compelling narrative of African innovation and entrepreneurship to a global audience, showcasing the impact of our founders and the vibrancy of the continent's tech ecosystem.
• Your Impact Project: We enthusiastically welcome your innovative suggestions for projects that leverage your unique skills to drive significant value for our portfolio companies, our accelerator firm, and the broader African tech ecosystem.

Who We Are Looking For

We seek ‘CARATs’! People who are Curious, Ambitious, Resourceful, Positive Attitude, Team Players. These are usually early career professionals with at least 3-5 years of experience in fields such as technology, science, media, corporate business, finance, consulting, or entrepreneurship.

A deep passion for technology, innovation, and the transformative potential of accelerating startups in Africa demonstrated by your public voice (you write, share videos, content, etc.).

Strong analytical, strategic thinking, networks on ground, and communication skills are also key.

Application Process

To apply for a contribution role with Accelerate Africa, please submit your CV and a compelling cover letter detailing your achievements, your interest in contributing to a leading accelerator, and your vision for supporting Africa’s tech ecosystem through direct program involvement to joinus@future.africa. Please put ‘Accelerate Africa Fellowship’ in the subject line along with your first and last name. 

We offer a fellowship sprint, full fellowship, and fellowship extension depending on how well you perform. 

Please include specific examples of your leadership and impact in your previous roles. We accept applications on a rolling basis.

Accelerate Africa is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive team. We encourage experienced professionals from all backgrounds to apply and join us in our mission to catalyze innovation across Africa.

Don’t miss this chance to make a lasting impact on Africa’s future by directly shaping the success of its most promising startups. Apply now to become a part of the Accelerate Africa team.

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