Attention Fintech Entrepreneurs: East African Accelerator now accepting applications

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Village Capital is currently identifying early-stage fintech ventures for its FinTech for Agriculture: East Africa 2015 Accelerator. Selected innovators will participate in a three-month accelerator program, featuring $100,000 pre-committed investment for the top two companies. Participating ventures will receive extensive feedback from their peers, potential customers, investors and industry experts, as well as the opportunity to peer-select two participating ventures to receive $50,000 investment each. To date, Village Capital has launched 30 programs in 8 countries and invested in more than 40 ventures in the education, agriculture, energy, fintech and healthcare sectors.

The top 12 enterprises who apply will be invited to participate in the 3-month program, structured as 3, 4-day sessions of coaching and training in Nairobi with remote work in between each session.

APPLY HERE – DEADLINE FEBRUARY 25th, 2015

Application Criteria

  1. Scalability: A for-profit business model with high potential to scale
  2. Stage: Post-revenue (even if it’s $1) or can demonstrate meaningful customer traction
  3. Investment needs: Pre-Series A or without any major institutional capital; and raising capital now or in the next 12-18 months
  4. Problem being solved: Solving a problem that improves access to financial services or products for smallholder farmers or the Agricultural sector
  5. Location: Focus on serving East Africa with at least one full-time team member located in Africa

Special consideration goes to:

  • Innovations that provide affordable extensions of credit, loans, cash advances or other financial services to financially underserved households, individuals, or small businesses;
  • Technologies that extend traditional financial services (savings, credit, loans, insurance) to financially underserved households, individuals, or businesses in alternative ways;
    Ventures that formalize informal markets and build wealth for low-wealth households or individuals.
  • Financial technologies for agriculture, healthcare and other sectors employing or serving a high-volume of unbanked and under banked individuals.