Grooming Endowment Trust (GET) in collaboration with Kickoff Africa, a renowned early stage investment vehicle for African entrepreneurs calls for applications to the second edition of the GETaccelerated programme; a transformative initiative designed to empower early-stage founders in Nigeria. GETaccelerated offers selected startups the opportunity to secure up to N10,000,000 in equity-free investment, along with access to expert mentors and valuable market opportunities.
Grooming Endowment Trust (GET) is a non-profit organisation established to promote sustainable social initiatives in education, health, enterprise, and community development. With its focus on providing support and equity-free investments to social enterprises, GET aims to create a positive impact and empower individuals and communities in Nigeria. GET in partnership with KickOff Africa implemented the first edition of the GETAccelerated programme in 2022 and supported 10 early stage founders with equity-free investments of N10,000,000 and has begun the second edition of the programme for 2023.
GETaccelerated aims to support startups operating in key sectors such as financial services, healthcare, education, agriculture, digital (economy) infrastructure, social impact, media, mobility/logistics, and commerce (ecommerce or social commerce). After an extensive screening and selection process, ten startups will receive a cumulative sum of ₦55 million in equity-free funding, access to expert mentors, and numerous market opportunities to scale their businesses.
To be eligible, startups must be registered and incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), have a minimum viable product (MVP) with some traction or paying users, and have been in operation for a period of 6 months to two years. Additionally, the unique business model should directly or indirectly create some form of impact (social, economic, socioeconomic, political) within communities . Startups at the angel, pre-seed, or seed stage are encouraged to apply.
“We are thrilled to hold the second edition of GETaccelerated and provide early-stage founders with the resources they need to scale their ventures. With equity-free funding, mentorship, and market opportunities, we believe this programme will be a catalyst for growth and innovation for Nigerian startups.” – Michael Adoghe; Operations Manager, Grooming Endowment Trust.
“We experienced first hand how supporting entrepreneurs create more opportunity and impact in underserved and marginalised communities, through the maiden edition of the GETAccelerated programme. We look forward to supporting more innovation in Nigeria, by enabling early stage companies get access to capital, mentorship and resources needed to navigate the daunting task of solving Nigeria’s persistent challenges” – Fola Olatunji-David; Founding Partner, KickOff Africa
Kickoff Africa’s partnership with GET since the inaugural edition of GETaccelerated remains instrumental as Kickoff Africa is renowned for its support of Innovation across Africa and its investment portfolio of early-stage startups, and is well-positioned to provide valuable guidance and expertise to the participating entrepreneurs.
GETaccelerated further invites angel to seed stage founders for a live webinar session on Friday, July 21st, 4pm-5:30pm, featuring industry experts Toyin Bamidele (Programme Manager, Kickoff Africa) and Adaeze Sokan (Programme Lead – Digital Economy; Mastercard Foundation).
The webinar promises to be an informative session for founders and prospective applicants to understand how to make their applications stand out,position their startup for equity-free funding, and get insights into strategies and tactics to overcome challenges faced by early-stage startups in Nigeria. To register for this webinar, visit https://bit.ly/GET2023Webinar
Applications for GETaccelerated are open until Saturday, July 29th, 2023, and interested startups can apply at bit.ly/GETAccelerated2 or www.groomingendowment.org
