How to Apply Visa Accelerator Africa Startups Program 2023 (Fully Funded)

Are you ready to disrupt the industry, revolutionize finance, and make an impact in the ecosystem? Join us on this exciting 3-months journey to propel your startup towards unprecedented growth and recognition. It’s time to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit and forge a path to success in the vibrant fintech landscape.

Opportunity Areas:

Unlocking new payment flows

You targeting to accelerate the growth of merchants and SMEs through digital payment solutions to foster financial inclusion?

• Next-generation omni-channel online and face-to-face payments
• Installments, POS financing, and BNPL
• Financing, alternative lending and risk mitigation structures
• Merchant value add solutions (e.g working capital optimization, supplier marketplace, inventory management, etc.)
• Merchant loyalty and engagement

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Payment Infrastructure Enablers:

You solving the ground layers of payment infrastructure and key enabling services?

• Authentication and fraud solutions
• KYC, customer onboarding and identity management
• Payment processing and facilitation
• B2B platform enablers
• Credit scoring and risk management solutions
• Data solutions and insights

The Future of finance

You building at the frontier of payment and Fintech? Are you integrating cutting edge technology to build the future of Finance?

• Integration of AI / ML into payment solutions
• Leveraging blockchain and decentralized technologies
• Programmable money
• Crypto risk, fraud, data and intelligence
• Custodial and non-custodial infrastructure
• CBDC and stablecoin solutions

Sustainable and Inclusive Finance:

You enhancing payment technology to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive financial system, reduce inequality and create positive impact for people, economies, and the environment?

• Financial services for underserved communities or climate-vulnerable communities
• Affordable and accessible financial solutions
• Impact management and measurement
• Carbon footprint and climate neutral solutions

Benefits:

Knowledge and Expertise

Gain a competitive edge with a tailored program covering product design, marketing, finance, sales and more. Receive experts’ guidance and strategic insights to accelerate your startup’s growth and unlock its full potential.

Mentorship

Gain access to 1:1 mentoring from experts and founders in the ecosystem from Africa and beyond. Learn from the experience of others to solve your challenges.

Visa Specific Training

Benefit from exclusive Fintech and payment training modules designed by Visa. Enhance your understanding of the fintech landscape, payment ecosystem, and industry best practices. Startups will also get the chance to access Visa’s developer portal and experiment with Visa products and services.

Funding

Secure the funding you need to bring your innovative ideas to life. Showcase your startup during the Demo Day and you could be considered for an investment opportunity by Visa, Plug and Play, and our wider Venture Capital community.

Partnership Opportunities

Forge powerful partnerships that can drive your startup forward. The program aims to open doors to valuable collaboration opportunities with industry leaders, innovative companies, and strategic partners.

Product Perks

Gain access to a wide selection of product perks and discounts from over 100 vendors for a combined offer value over $200,000. Offers include credits from Google Cloud, HubSpot.

Eligibility:

If your team has already designed a minimum viable product related to the proposed areas designed a minimum viable product related to the proposed challengesor has a market-ready solution, you are the right fit for the program. Product are:

Stage: Seed to Series A startups with at least an MVP

Solution: Building a solution addressing one of our themes

Traction: Market tested solution that has gained traction

Geography: Existing operations in Africa or demonstrated commitment to expand in Africa