Accelerate Africa

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: 1?? 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. 2?? 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. 3?? 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. 4?? 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. 5?? 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: 1?? 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. 2?? 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: 1?? 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. 2?? Communication is key. Clear, consistent communication with stakeholders helped us navigate challenges and improve decision-making. 3?? 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!

We're excited to announce our latest investment in IWOMI - cutting compliance costs by 10x for African banks! ?? What they do: Based in Cameroon, IWOMI started by automating regulatory compliance for banks and microfinance institutions, cutting reporting time from 15 days to just 2 and saving them from costly $3M fines. Today, IWOMI’s platform is much more than compliance—it’s a comprehensive digital banking solution for banks and MFIs. With features spanning core banking, cash management, loan processing, risk monitoring/control and payments, IWOMI enables financial institutions to replace outdated systems with scalable, efficient technology. ?? Why we invested: CEO Collins FOMBA KEN brings exactly what this market needs - 15+ years of experience implementing the legacy systems IWOMI is replacing. After leading software teams at SBS and Attijariwafa bank, he understands intimately how to help banks migrate away from outdated tech. His deep expertise in both banking software and the Francophone African market is invaluable. With 400+ banks and 30K+ microfinance institutions desperately needing modern compliance tools, IWOMI is perfectly positioned to capture this $1.2B revenue market opportunity. Join us in welcoming IWOMI to the Baobab Network family! ??

Applications are now closed for the AA3 cohort, but the rolling application cycle is open, so you can continue applying - www.acceler8.africa AA3 Key Dates - 11 Jan: AA3 Applications Closed - 1 Feb: AA3 founders notified - 16 Feb: Fly in day to Nairobi - 2 May: Invest in the Future Summit IV and AA3 Demo Day (Register now: https://lu.ma/mzyckglw) AA4 Key Dates - June / July 2025: Applications Open / Close - mid Aug: AA4 founders notified - end August: Welcome Week - 21 Nov: Invest in the Future Summit V and AA4 Demo Day

If you are thinking about one thing you can do this Saturday that will set you up well for the rest of your year, I deeply recommend taking time applying to our Accelerate Africa program - www.acceler8.africa. We begin selection for the next batch AA3 from midnight today so I really want you to have an opportunity to apply. You should apply if : - You are building a business that is solving a real problem for a customer base that you know incredibly well and are excited about serving. - You want to work one on one with myself and other very experienced founders to accelerate your business to $1m in revenue over the next 12 to 18 months. - You can commit to being in Kenya in person from Feb 15th-Feb 22 for welcome week and in Lagos from April 27-May 2 for launch week. One very interesting feature of the program from last year is we have a lot of people who have gone to other accelerators come to us (perhaps because unlike other accelerators we are equity free) and they consistently say Accelerate Africa is different.

ONE DAY LEFT! Get your applications in!! Applications close at midnight WAT tomorrow Message us with any questions or check out the Q&A recap here -> https://lnkd.in/egffFEjJ Future Africa, Itana, Prosper Africa Ifeoluwa (Awodein) Adepoju, Iwinnosasevhonken Igiehon, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Jonathan Ruwanika CA(SA), Mathew Saunders, Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani, Sayo Adegoroye, V. Chinyere Inya