The Green Pioneer Accelerator, aimed at green entrepreneurs looking to scale their innovations, received 249 applications before the deadline passed yesterday.
Disrupt Africa reported last month on the programme, which was announced in September and is a joint initiative of Impact Amplifier, Growth Africa, VC4Africa and Hivos to make US$125,000 in financial capital available to the best companies.
Applicants were required to have either a working prototype with clear market demand or already be generating revenue, with Green Pioneer accepting applications from across the continent for entrepreneurs from the programme.
The 249 complete applications will now be whittled down, with an announcement to be made on December 19 of the 10-12 startups selected to join the programme when it commences on January 15 next year at GrowthAfrica in Nairobi.
“The curriculum we have put together looks at a company in a holistic way, and we take a non-linear approach to the entrepreneurial process. We recognise that each company is unique in its formation and The Green Pioneer Accelerator programme looks at the strengths and weaknesses of each participant and then adapts the programme to fit their needs. This is a different approach that shows results.” Johnni Kjelsgaard, chief executive officer (CEO) of Growth Africa.
