The Nairobi-based iHub is looking for mentors to assist selected startups during the second edition of its World Bank-supported Traction Camp, a regional accelerator programme aimed at helping digital entrepreneurs in East Africa realise their potential.
Disrupt Africa reported last year m:lab East Africa – which has since been subsumed into iHub – and the World Bank Group’s infoDev programme launched the Traction Camp initiative, one of a series of accelerator programmes being launched by the World Bank across Africa.
Twenty startups from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda were chosen to join the six-month programme, which culminated with a demo day in September. iHub opened applications for the second edition of the programme late last year.
The hub is now inviting experienced entrepreneurs and investors to apply to be mentors for the programme in addition to its existing pool.
“By bringing sectoral and experienced experts as mentors, making available crucial industry, technical and business knowledge to entrepreneurs, and exposing them to regional and international investors, the programme positions entrepreneurs for investment readiness and scaling,” iHub said.
“We use intensive virtual mentoring and coaching before the residential programme, a face-to-face residency in Nairobi hosted at iHub, and months of follow-up mentoring and coaching, with the intensity decided based on each entrepreneur’s performance and needs.”
iHub is looking for mentors with understanding of the operating and business environment, and experience of investing in companies in Africa or other emerging markets. It also wants experience in internationalisation of a product, and professional expertise in key business areas.
Access to professional networks, including investors, corporates, NGOs and government in East Africa and beyond, is also welcome, while mentors must have the ability to commit 4-5 hours per month as needed.
