Innovest Afrika concludes summer accelerator programme, expands tech support to ventures in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda
BusinessDay
Home>BDSunday>Innovest Afrika concludes summer accelerator programme, expands tech support to ventures in Nigeria, Kenya, RwandaadsTexas-based non-profit entrepreneurship development organization Innovest Afrika hosted its Cohort 5 Demo Day at the Ananse Centre in Lekki, Lagos. The event marked the culmination of an intensive eight-week accelerator programme designed for 70 early-stage founders hailing from Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda.
Operating under the theme ‘Building What’s Next: African Founders, Africa’s Future Innovation Beyond Technology Alone’, the showcase convened investors, corporate partners, and ecosystem leaders to evaluate early-stage ventures spanning artificial intelligence, health, fintech, agritech, and traditional industries.
Launched in June 2026, Cohort 5 included 25 Nigerian entrepreneurs. It ran concurrently with cohorts 6 and 7 in Kenya and Rwanda bring the total participating ventures to 70. Delivered in partnership with AGRA – (Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa), the intake featured more than 40 women-led agribusiness ventures, reflecting Innovest Afrika’s strategic push to broaden enterprise support beyond conventional software startups.
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Throughout the eight-week initiative, participants completed Innovest Afrika’s proprietary Investment Readiness Curriculum via its digital platform. The framework prepares founders to secure growth capital from domestic and international investors through expert workshops and tailored mentoring from a global advisory network.
Participants also completed specialised entrepreneurial coursework facilitated by Babson College professors under an exclusive partnership with the Boston-based institution, earning professional certificates upon completion.
Highlighting the platform’s focus on sustainable fundraising capabilities ahead of the presentations, Innovest Afrika founder and chief executive officer Femi Moito emphasized that training founders to navigate capital markets is vital to their long-term survival.
“We are proud of our work with African entrepreneurs, and the results speak for themselves,” Moito said. “Since launching in 2024, we have completed seven cohorts across six African countries, accelerating over 120 early-stage startups. On average, our founders raise approximately $50,000 within six months of completing the programme.”
Moito added: “Our programme is laser-focused on teaching founders how to position their businesses and raise capital. While we write investment cheques, we ensure founders are not dependent on us. A business unable to secure growth funding cannot survive its early stages.”
kenneth AthekameAthekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.
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