Applications have opened for early-stage Ghanaian startups to scale their operations through the MEST Express accelerator programme.
MEST Express is one of three programmes, alongside Pre-MEST and MEST Scale, that MEST is currently running in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
The 20-week accelerator programme aims to equip early-stage ventures with the skills and resources they require to accelerate their growth, and offers free training, mentorship, resources, and support to participating startups.
At the end of the programme, startups in each cohort will have the opportunity to participate in a pitching session where top-performing ventures will receive equity-free grant funding.
“Securing investment is extremely difficult for early-stage startups. This is why we are introducing a strong focus on investment readiness and fundraising in our upcoming cohorts, with the view of connecting startups to sources of capital and preparing them to effectively deploy funds to grow their businesses,” said Felix Darko, MEST Express programme manager.
The programme will run in two cohorts, with a blend of virtual and in-person sessions. One cohort will take place in Accra, with in-person sessions held at the MEST campus, while in an effort to make entrepreneurial training more accessible to startups across Ghana the other cohort will take place in Tamale at the HOPin Academy.
Applications are open here.
