At Accelerate Africa, we are open to applications from startups working on anything they think is interesting. However, there are a few opportunity areas where we would love to work closely with startups that are eliminating barriers to productivity for Africans and African businesses working on the internet.

Data & AI

The latest advancements in machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision are unlocking cutting-edge innovations that enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, automate processes, and offer businesses a sharper all-around competitive edge. Supporting AI startups is critical for building an African future powered by intelligent, data-driven solutions to complex social, economic and environmental issues. While the full scale of AI’s potential on the continent is limited by structural issues like a shortage of technical talent and insufficient access to training data, we’re looking for startups building scalable solutions that address or circumvent these limitations.

In line with this, we’re looking for startups:

• aggregating and commercialising proprietary pools of consumer and/or market data that can be used in the development of AI models 
• building educational/commercial AI virtual assistants that overcome the language/cultural barriers within and across African countries
• developing AI tools to improve cybersecurity, internet safety, and/or the management of multiple digital accounts
• building advanced systems that facilitate fraud detection, transaction analysis, and credit risk assessment of and for individuals/enterprises
• leveraging big data to personalise the delivery of content, services, and resources possible 

We are very interested in technical founders with substantial experience building and/or researching AI technologies, preferably focused on their applications in emerging markets where advanced technological infrastructure is infantile.

Future of Work

Africa sits on the precipice of an unprecedented talent boom. Currently, 60% of Africans are aged 20 or below. By 2050, a quarter of the world’s population will be African. As the global demand for African talent remains on the rise, the need for a generation of highly skilled African workforce with the flexibility to work remotely without compromising productivity is paramount. This presents a significant market opportunity for innovative solutions that maximise the potential of Africa’s human capital by providing in-demand training, closing the talent-opportunity gap, or unlocking latent productivity. To this end, we’re looking for startups leveraging new technologies to address critical skills and career opportunity gaps in Africa’s hyper-saturated talent market.

In line with this, we’re looking for startups:

• creating gamified learning experiences through simulations and immersive pedagogy techniques such as virtual reality experiences
• building virtual assistants that consider the language/cultural barriers within and across African countries
• connecting freelance talent with local/global businesses looking for support with specific tasks/projects/gigs
• building bundled platforms/marketplaces for services (eg: tax reporting, visa support, co-working space access, local community building etc.) that digital remote workers seek out
• building micro-learning products/software that allow students and professionals to learn in-demand skills through bite-sized content delivered through owned platforms, WhatsApp, or SMS.
• developing remote collaboration tools that facilitate communication, project management, and team-building across industries and geographies

Digital Health

As the continent becomes more digital, consumers are becoming more impatient with the speed and overall quality of service delivery. This is especially true for healthcare, an industry where patients primarily seek out health services when they are in urgent need. Catalysed by the restrictions that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth became mainstream as more people across the continent sought virtual platforms/systems that allowed them to access medical services without leaving their homes. The resultant pressure for better speed, quality, affordability, and convenience in delivering health services inspired the continent’s shift towards online, personalised, point-of-care healthcare. To this end, we’re looking for startups building products that make it easier for people to access, receive, and pay for healthcare while improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery for providers.

In line with this, we’re looking for startups:

• facilitating access to healthcare financing for patients, regardless of their health insurance coverage status
• building proprietary AI diagnostics tools that make preventive and personalised healthcare possible for and accessible to all
• creating platforms/systems that improve the efficiency of patient health data collection, analysis, interpretation, and exchange; with privacy in mind
• bridging the geographic and resource gap in healthcare access—especially in the most remote parts of Africa with limited internet access—via telemedicine
• aggregating and commercialising access to real-time data on key environmental factors that cause/increase specific health risks in specific geographies

We’re especially excited about startups that think about ways to leverage new technologies to provide access to quality healthcare and health financing. The founders we’re looking for should have demonstrated experience in healthcare with a deep, informed conviction on how to build and scale digital health solutions in African markets. 

Creator Economy

More than any other sector, the creative industry employs the highest number of Africans aged 25 and below. With the median age on the continent being 19, unlocking productivity for internet creators, freelancers, and influencers helps launch a new class of solopreneurs in Africa, where youth unemployment is sky-high. However, Africa’s creative renaissance, catalysed by the recent boom in global demand for African creative content, is yet to be adequately monetised—by and for creators—due to infrastructure gaps limiting the efficiency of content creation and distribution. New blockchain innovations present an opportunity to redefine ownership of original African content to protect the intellectual property of creatives. To this end, we’re looking for startups tackling some of the critical challenges in this space to unlock untapped commercial opportunities for content professionals and businesses. 

In line with this, we’re looking for startups:

• making quality internet more accessible and affordable to ensure more African creators participate in the digital economy
• providing reliable cross-border payment systems for content monetisation and creator compensation in fiat and/or crypto
• optimising/inventing digital infrastructure that makes the discovery and distribution of content and creative assets more efficient and cost-effective
• democratising access to communities/networks that facilitate collaboration, resource-sharing and ecosystem-building
• unbundling essential services (eg: legal, accounting, etc.) for freelance creators and creative professionals 

We’re especially excited about startups that holistically address content challenges by solving challenges affecting creators in media, marketing, education, and entertainment. The founders we’re looking for should be able to balance their creative skills with a cultural and technological savvy grounded in a deep understanding of the creative industry and how technology can be used to solve problems for creative professionals and/or companies.

Sustainability

Agtech and energy startups are best positioned to develop solutions that boost climate change resilience in African communities. Considering the scale of food security issues on the continent and the searing effects of the climate crisis on food production, sustainable forms of energy generation, energy distribution, food cultivation, and food preservation are critically needed to feed and power the continent. To this end, we’re looking for startups developing solutions that help make the continent’s food supply chain less import-dependent and the continent’s energy sources less dependent on fossil.

In line with this, we’re looking for startups:

• leveraging circular economy models to commercialise recycled products
• catalysing the generation and/or distribution of clean energy at scale
• improving the efficiency of natural resource extraction and/or processing
• facilitating sustainable agriculture through precision technologies and data collection
• improving the quality and efficiency of waste management

Retail Logistics 

African countries are infamous for their supply chain complications caused by too many middlemen, government failure, poor distribution networks/infrastructure, and fragmented markets. Therefore, startups building technologies to streamline the supply chain by accelerating the quantity and seamlessness of retail activity in Africa are critical for unleashing Africa’s full commercial potential.

In line with this, we’re looking for startups:

• accelerating e-commerce activity through intelligent buyer-seller matching informed by analysis of buyer/seller traits, preferences, offerings
• developing cost-effective software solutions for inventory tracking, order fulfilment, and warehouse management
• Improving logistics efficiency and last-mile connectivity in remote areas or congested urban environments
• Enhance supply transparency and traceability by leveraging new technologies like AI and blockchain to track the movement, quality and purchase history of digital goods
• Developing scalable green product development, packaging, and distribution products to minimise waste generation and promote sustainable practices throughout the supply chain

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Beyond these themes, we’re also open to applications from startups solving critical problems and turning Africa’s challenges into global business opportunities. 

If that is you, we highly encourage you to apply.