Deadline: May 22, 2022
Applications for the OceanHub Africa Acceleration Program 2022 are now open. The OceanHub Africa is launching the second cohort of its six-month online acceleration program to support up to six of Africa’s most promising impact-for-profit startups focused on preserving and restoring the health of the ocean.
The accelerator is on a mission to support ocean-minded start-ups with the express aim of nurturing an environmentally conscious and profitable economy that effectively mitigates the effects of global warming as well as the overexploitation and pollution of the oceans. Leveraging its highly qualified network of stakeholders and facilitators, it will deliver to the accelerated start-ups a program that seeks out sustainable pathways yielding stable profits (ROIs) and avenues for scalable growth throughout Africa.
Benefits
Service Package
- Up to $75k worth of cloud services thanks to their partner AWS Activate
- Free access to IoT prototyping thanks to their partner Macrocomm
- Over $40k worth of mechanical engineering design software licences and support for prototyping and virtual testing, thanks to their partner 3DExperience Lab
- Access to Dassault Systèmes, Amazon Web Services and international marketplaces and/or salesforce for finished products of accelerated startups
- Advisory sessions with: Cullinan & Associates (international environmental law firm), Cape AI on machine learning and AI implementation, Macrocomm on data management and implementation of IoT, SWEN Blue Oceans Partners (ocean impact Venture Capitalist fund), Ocean14 Capital (ocean impact Private Equity fund), WWF – South Africa, Dept of Oceanography University of Cape Town, EuroSIMA (oceantech experts) and more!
Mentorship & Support
- Participation to an in-person training bootcamp in Cape Town
- Tailored business skills and personal development 1-to-1 coaching
- Sales, Product Development, Communication and Business Development Support
- Access to their network of scientific, business, impact and investment experts from international corporations, foundations, universities and IGOs
Network
- Access to networking events and conferences, including a stand and stage time at the Ocean Innovation Africa annual summit
- Access to potential clients (market leads) for local and international expansion
- Access to their international network of ocean-impact incubators/accelerators to scale overseas
- Access to key external partners
Fund-raising Support
- Potential funding of up to 10k USD from OceanHub Africa
- Support in preparing and running investor pitches, including training sessions with partner investors directly
- Support in structuring deals, including reviews by transactional and commercial lawyers
- Access to a large portfolio of impact investors part of our ecosystems (inc. SWEN Blue Oceans, Ocean14 Capital, Finca Ventures, Conservation International Ventures, Builders Vision, AquaSpark, Athelia …) as well as corporate venture capitalist funds
Eligibility
- Your start-up is ocean-minded: it has a direct or indirect positive impact on the oceans (addressing climate change, pollution or overexploitation of the ocean) and promotes ocean equity;
- You are a for-profit and operate in Africa;
- You have a scalable service or product available on the market or soon to be available on the market;
- Your product or service is clearly innovative and/or your business model is disruptive;
- You are looking for investments or new markets.
Selection Criteria
- Impact & vision
- Business model
- Team
- Technology
Application
For more information, visit OHA Program.
