NBA Africa, a global sports and media organisation with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball, during the week, announced the second edition of the startup accelerator program, which the league launched last year to support the continent’s technology ecosystem and next generation of African entrepreneurs.
NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator, which awards financial support and mentorship to early-stage African startup companies that develop solutions in the sport and creative industries, will once again be operated by ALX Ventures, a leading technology incubator that provides the continent’s tech leaders with access to the skills and tools to launch and scale their startups.
The body also announced ServiceNow, an AI platform for business transformation whose Now Assist and AI agents help organisations deliver faster and smarter experiences at scale, as an official partner of the programme. The programme will run till Friday, August 29, registration is already opened at tripledoubleaccelerator.nba.com
According to the organisers, submissions will be narrowed down to a top 10, while the shortlisted startups will then participate in a 10-week mentorship programme where they will be paired with mentors comprising NBA Africa, ServiceNow and ALX leadership, as well as other corporate stakeholders, who will provide guidance to the companies with a focus on product development, business growth and go-to-market strategy.
The startups, according to them, will then pitch their products to international industry leaders at the program’s second Demo Day in December, where the top five prize-winning companies will be selected to receive financial support and mentorship.
Chief Executive Officer NBA Africa, Clare Akamanzi, said: “Last year’s inaugural Triple-Double Accelerator programme showed how much talent, passion and creativity there is among African entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of the continent’s rapidly growing sport and entertainment industries. We look forward to reviewing this year’s submissions and to helping another round of promising startups take the next step in their development.”
Last year, more than 700 early-stage African startups applied to the programme. Ten finalists were then selected to pitch their products to a panel of international industry leaders at the first Demo Day in the NBA headquarters, New York City, after which four prize-winning companies – Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), HustleSasa (Kenya) and UBR VR (Egypt) – were awarded financial support and mentorship.
