Afreximbank Flagship
Accelerator Program
Accelerating innovation for intra-African trade
Deadline has passed.
Form submissions are no longer available.
About the Program
The Afreximbank Flagship Accelerator Program is a groundbreaking initiative designed to empower African entrepreneurs who are developing innovative solutions to drive intra-African trade. We’re looking for visionary founders with scalable technologies that address critical challenges in cross-border payments, trade finance, and digital commerce platforms.
Selected startups will receive tailored mentorship, strategic support, and access to Afreximbank’s extensive network. Through our Fund for Export Development for Africa (FEDA), qualifying participants may be eligible for pre-seed or seed stage investment of up to $250,000 after program completion, following our standard investment process.
$250K
Investment per startup
10
Selected startups
15+
Industry mentors
Program Benefits
Financial Support
Access to mentorship, strategic support, and potential investment opportunities. Through our Fund for Export Development for Africa (FEDA), qualifying startups may receive pre-seed or seed stage investment of up to $250,000 after program completion, following our standard investment process.
Expert Mentorship
Personalized guidance from industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, and Afreximbank's leadership team throughout your accelerator journey.
Strategic Partnerships
Connect with potential clients, partners, and investors through Afreximbank's extensive network across Africa and the diaspora.
Market Access
Leverage Afreximbank's position to access new markets and scale your business across the continent and CARICOM regions.
Focus Areas
Access to mentorship, strategic support, and potential investment opportunities. Through our Fund for Export Development for Africa (FEDA), qualifying startups may receive pre-seed or seed stage investment of up to $250,000 after program completion, following our standard investment process.
Note: The above categories are illustrative. We encourage applications from innovators in all sectors whose solutions can meaningfully impact intra-African trade.
Trade Enablement
Any technology that reduces barriers to cross-border trade or facilitates regional market access.
Market Access
Platforms and technologies that connect buyers and sellers across African borders.
Financial Solutions
Innovations that address funding gaps, payment challenges, or financial inclusion for traders and businesses.
Supply Chain Innovation
Solutions that improve logistics, inventory management, or distribution networks for cross-border trade.
Program Timeline
Application Opens
Registration portal goes live for startup applications
Selection Confirmed
Selected startups receive confirmation and onboarding details
Virtual Courses Begin
Weekly virtual sessions and curriculum delivery starts
First Cohort Meeting
In-person gathering for intensive training and networking
Second Cohort Meeting
Follow-up in-person session for deeper collaboration
Demo Day
Final presentations to investors, partners, and stakeholders
Application Opens
Registration portal goes live for startup applications
Selection Confirmed
Selected startups receive confirmation and onboarding details
Virtual Courses Begin
Weekly virtual sessions and curriculum delivery starts
First Cohort Meeting
In-person gathering for intensive training and networking
Second Cohort Meeting
Follow-up in-person session for deeper collaboration
Demo Day
Final presentations to investors, partners, and stakeholders
Program Requirements
To participate in the Afreximbank Flagship Accelerator Program, all selected startups must meet the following requirements:
Travel Commitment
Willingness to travel for in-person cohort meetings and Demo Day (travel support provided)
Time Dedication
Commit to attending weekly virtual sessions and complete all program milestones
Program Focus
Maintain primary focus on African market expansion during the program duration
Reporting
Provide monthly progress reports and participate in program evaluation activities
Collaboration
Actively engage with mentors, program partners, and fellow cohort members
Growth Mindset
Demonstrate openness to feedback and willingness to implement strategic recommendations
Our Mentors
Discover our mentors & faculty profiles :
Dan Mabyallas
Independent Program Director and Innovation Consultant
Dan Mabbyalas is an Independent Program Director and Innovation Consultant with extensive experience in Africa’s startup and venture ecosystems. Leveraging his engineering background and passion for innovation, he designs and leads high-impact programs that empower startups to scale and connect with global markets. Over the past five years, Dan has supported hundreds of early- and growth-stage founders through accelerator programs, investor matchmaking, and international ecosystem tours across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the U.S. His work bridges the gap between talent and capital by fostering meaningful collaborations between startups, investors, and corporates. As a mentor and ecosystem builder, he is committed to driving inclusive innovation and strengthening Africa’s position in the global tech landscape.
CEO, Ansa Africa
Herbert Thuo is an entrepreneurship strategist, venture architect, and ecosystem builder based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the CEO of Ansa Africa, a venture-building firm supporting early-stage enterprises and ecosystem enablers across Africa. With over 15 years of experience, Herbert has led programs in over 10 African countries focused on business model innovation, market entry, investment readiness, and inclusive entrepreneurship. He has contributed to flagship initiatives such as the Neycha Agroecology Accelerator, WomenWork, Herizon, LISEC, and Westerwelle’s market entry programs. Herbert is also the developer of tools like BIMOSA, MIKUHA, PRODEJA, and EXACTA, designed to support African founders through execution and scale. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Entrepreneurship at Stellenbosch University, focused on startup failure in emerging markets.
Cofounder Sw7
Keith has over 30 years of experience in the B2B technology sector across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Passionate about growing product-led businesses, he focuses on commercialisation, growth, internationalisation, funding, scaling and exit. Born and raised in Africa, Keith began his career as a developer in the banking sector in the UK, Switzerland, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. In 1997, he returned to South Africa to launch Harvey Jones, which became the largest Microsoft Business Intelligence partner in the country. After listing on the AIM in London and raising ZAR100m, he exited in 2011. Since 2013, he has advised and mentored startups, launching Sw7, Africa’s first virtual accelerator for B2B technology ventures, partnering with AWS, Microsoft, IBM and others.
Michael Mutie
Investment Manager, Launch Africa Ventures
Michael is an Investment Manager at Launch Africa Ventures, the continent’s most active early-stage venture capital firm. He leads fundraising and investments, manages corporate partnerships, and drives portfolio growth and exit pathways across the fund’s 120+ tech-enabled ventures in over 20 African markets. With a hands-on approach to scaling startups and unlocking capital, Michael plays a defining role in shaping Africa’s next generation of market-leading companies
Cameron Coutts
Co-Founder & Director of Growth, Metavolve
Cameron Coutts is an Organisational Psychologist and the Co-Founder and Director of Growth at Metavolve, a strategy facilitation and advisory firm that helps scaling entrepreneurs build clarity, alignment, and execution systems so their businesses can become exitable. Having worked with over 150 leadership teams across Africa, he helps founders turn strategic thinking into tangible results, unlocking growth while reducing operational chaos. Cameron also hosts The Founder Files, South Africa’s leading entrepreneur podcast, where he’s interviewed more than 130 founders and investors on the realities of building and scaling companies. Combining psychological insight with practical tools, he brings a clear, engaging, and experience-led perspective to every founder conversation.
Ciku Mugambi
Investment Director, DOB Equity
Ciku is an investment professional with 15 years' experience working across Africa, helping build and finance tech and real economy businesses. She started at KPMG in Audit, then moved to Deal Advisory, working with banks, manufacturers, private equity and strategic investors across East Africa. At IFC (Disruptive Technologies & Funds), she sourced and managed direct deals and VC funds across Sub Saharan Africa, backing founders and fund managers and learning what it takes to scale. She later joined her portfolio company Kobo360, shifting to the operator side to drive strategy and operations for a pan African logistics platform. Today, she is currently an Investment Director at DOB Equity—a Dutch family office investing in sustainable food systems, climate, and WASH across East Africa—where she partners with founders to deploy capital that builds durable businesses with real impact.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Strategist
Dr. Dalia Abd-Allah is an Innovation & Entrepreneurship Strategist and Independent Expert with 20 years of experience driving corporate innovation, SME growth, and investment facilitation. She currently serves as Senior Director of the Innovation Hub at The American University in Cairo (AUC), where she leads strategy, partnerships, and talent development. Over her career, she has mobilized $50M in funding, supported 700+ enterprises, and created nearly 2,000 jobs across Egypt and MENA. Her consulting focuses on corporate innovation models, ecosystem design, and SME financing, advising organizations including Siemens, GIZ, Orange, and El Sewedy Electric. She holds a DBA and MBA from Maastricht School of Management and lectures on entrepreneurship and venture strategy while mentoring high-impact startups across emerging markets.
Hady Barry
Senior Investment Associate
Hady Barry is a Senior Investment Associate at Ventures Platform, where she focuses on identifying and supporting early-stage ventures shaping Africa's future - particularly in Francophone markets. She is especially passionate about supporting visionary entrepreneurs building a prosperous low-carbon future on the continent and beyond. Hady brings over a decade of experience across fintech, global health, and social impact. Before joining Ventures Platform she led business development in Francophone Africa for Taptap Send, where the partnerships she brokered drove a majority of the company's profitability in the region. She has also held expansion roles at Zipline, negotiating national-level partnerships and designing systems to expand access to essential health commodities. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a BSFS in International Economics from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Based between Abidjan and Dakar, Hady is driven by a deep commitment to shaping equitable and inclusive futures.
Startup Growth Consultant and Author
Justine Massaba is a Leadership and Business Consultant with over 6 years of experience supporting startups and entrepreneurs across Africa. He has worked with organizations such as Stanford Seed Spark, Conecta Academy, Afrilabs, Bridge for Billions, and VC4A, mentoring early-stage ventures on business development, fundraising, and investment readiness. His expertise lies in helping founders refine business models, develop leadership capacity, and scale sustainably. Justine has also facilitated entrepreneurship and leadership workshops for youth-focused organizations and accelerators. As an author and mentor, he is passionate about driving Africa’s transformation through purpose-driven leadership and innovation.
Melvin Malanga
CEO, Romel Ventures | Enterprise Business Advisor - Africa @ Curacel | Mentor & Startup Ecosystem Facilitator
Melvin Malanga is the CEO of Romel Ventures, a consulting firm dedicated to empowering African enterprises through strategic advisory, startup mentorship, and AI integration. With experience spanning enterprise sales, venture capital readiness, and innovation strategy, he has worked with startups and corporates to scale operations and unlock growth. As an ecosystem builder and mentor, Melvin supports founders in developing investor-ready business models and leveraging technology to solve Africa’s most pressing challenges. He currently also serves as Enterprise Manager – East Africa at Curacel, an AI-driven Insurtech company advancing digital transformation across the continent.
Ayoola Ogunyomi
CEO & co-founder of Umbrella
Ayoola Ogunyomi is the CEO and co-founder of Umbrella, a marketplace redefining startup investment and exits in Africa, and a seasoned marketing and communications strategist with over a decade of experience across fintech, media, and brand transformation. He also serves as Group Strategy Director at Chain Reactions Africa, where he has led award-winning campaigns for leading brands and government agencies. Ayoola has driven record-breaking growth across businesses like Patricia Technologies, OPay, Intense Digital, Ringier Africa (RDM/Pulse), and SO&U, building strategies that scale audiences, deepen engagement, and drive measurable revenue impact. Known for blending data, creativity, and cultural intelligence, he continues to shape how brands connect, grow, and lead across Africa’s evolving digital economy.
Ghazi Saddem
Startup Advisor , Innovation & Strategy Consultant
Ghazi Saddem is a leading figure in the innovation and startup ecosystem, renowned for his work in accelerating growth and fostering digital transformation across MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America. With over 700 founders coached and more than 90 accelerator programs supported and designed, he has become a trusted advisor to startups , support programs , government agenciess, and corporations on innovation policy, startup strategy, growth and market expansion. As a member of Tunisia's National Startup Act Committee (2024-2027), he plays a pivotal role in shaping the country's innovation landscape, while also mentoring and advising global startups on scaling, fundraising, and digital transformation.
Dr. Dorcas Muthoni
CEO & Founder
Dorcas Muthoni is the Founder and CEO of Openworld Ltd and OpenBusiness Africa Limited, both companies are dedicated to fostering innovation and growth within the African business landscape. With a strong background in technology and business development, she is passionate about empowering enterprises, entrepreneurs and driving transformative initiatives across the continent. Her expertise lies in strategic planning, market analysis, and building sustainable business models.
Waleed Sadek
Founder & CEO of PaySky & Yalla Super App
Waleed Sadek is the Founder & CEO of PaySky and Yalla Super App, leading digital financial transformation across 18 markets in the Middle East and Africa. A former Visa executive and fintech visionary, he has built national payment systems in 10 countries and is a key voice in financial innovation and inclusion.
Who Should Register
We welcome applications from:
Deadline has passed.
Form submissions are no longer available.
- Early to Series A stage startups with a minimum viable product (MVP)
- African entrepreneurs across the continent and in the diaspora
- Innovative companies tackling challenges in cross-border trade
- Tech-enabled businesses with potential for regional or continental scale