Norwegian-based investment company,”Katapult Accelerator ” through its branch Africa has organized an intensive 90 days digital programme aimed at training and investing in startups companies in Africa
The company was founded in 2016 in Oslo, Norway, and has been focusing on highly scalable impact tech start-ups globally. This year’s African edition, held in Kigali, saw nine chosen companies out of Africa’s startup companies who are basically into a wide range of agricultural transformation, food production, distribution, and logistics, as well as climate change solutions, present for the intense digital and physical workshop.
The acceleration programme is aimed at training and investing in startups Africa companies who are in their start-up stage and are trying to grow as fast as they can,with $150,000 equity investment in each selected start up,as a means to support them in the bid to become Africa’s biggest and leading agri-tech, and climate-tech companies in Africa
The Katapult Africa Accelerator is a 90-day inaugural programme organised to give intense digital training, and provide support for these nine selected startups from five different countries across Africa. The selected participants are from Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco, with the training taking place in Kigali.
Selected companies will have to go through some vigorous training, workshops, seminars, pitch training, investor presentations, online and physical classes, and lots more.
Describing the programme as a milestone during the Acceleration Programme Launch at Norrsken House, Kigali, on November 4, the Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, said the programme is focused on supporting the start-up ecosystem, as it responds to the key challenge of unlocking to the rising start-ups.
“The launch of such a fund comes in as a great addition to all the other efforts that are being put in place to make sure we have a thriving environment for the startups,” she said.
Katapult Country Director for Rwanda, Philip Gasaatura, while speaking at the programme launch,expressed his happiness in the future of Africa, having seen the strive of Africans to ensuring that the problems in their communities and the continent are solved,adding that Africa’s startups can help solve one of the biggest challenges Africa is facing as one of the fastest growing markets.
“Through the accelerator program the focus will be on supporting these startups through their growth, investment and impact strategies,” He said.
