VISA 2023 Accelerator Program for African Entrepreneurs

Unlock your startup's potential and fast-track your success in the dynamic world of fintech with the Visa Accelerator program. This groundbreaking initiative connects Africa's brightest minds with experienced mentors, cutting-edge technology, and unparalleled investment opportunities. 

Are you ready to disrupt the industry, revolutionize finance, and make an impact in the ecosystem? Join us on this exciting 3-months journey to propel your startup towards unprecedented growth and recognition. It's time to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit and forge a path to success in the vibrant fintech landscape. 

• Table of Content
• About VISA
• Accelerator Program
• Aim and Benefits of Accelerator Program
• Requirements for Accelerator Program Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Accelerator Program
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About VISA

We’re a trusted network and world leader in digital payments, with a mission to remove barriers and connect more people to the global economy. Because we believe that economies that include everyone, everywhere uplift everyone, everywhere. Our journey begins in 1958, the year that Bank of America launched the first consumer credit card program in the U.S. We expanded internationally in 1974 and introduced the debit card in 1975. In 2007, regional businesses around the world were merged to form Visa Inc. and, in 2008, the company went public in one of the largest IPOs in history. To...&nb... continue reading

Accelerator Program

Aim and Benefits of Accelerator Program

• Knowledge and expertise: Gain a competitive edge with a tailored program covering product design, marketing, finance, sales, and more. Receive experts’ guidance and strategic insights to accelerate your startup’s growth and unlock its full potential.
• Mentorship: Gain access to 1:1 mentoring from experts and founders in the ecosystem from Africa and beyond. Learn from the experience of others to solve your challenges.
• Visa-specific training: Benefit from exclusive Fintech and payment training modules designed by Visa. Enhance your understanding of the fintech landscape, payment ecosystem, and industry best practices. Startups will also get the chance to access Visa’s developer portal and experiment with Visa products and services.
• Funding: Secure the funding you need to bring your innovative ideas to life. Showcase your startup during the Demo Day and you could be considered for an investment opportunity by Visa, Plug and Play, and our wider Venture Capital community.
• Partnership opportunities: Forge powerful partnerships that can drive your startup forward. The program aims to open doors to valuable collaboration opportunities with industry leaders, innovative companies, and strategic partners.
• Product perks: Gain access to a wide selection of product perks and discounts from over 100 vendors for a combined offer value of over $200,000. Offers include credits from Google Cloud, HubSpot

Requirements for Accelerator Program Qualification

Who should apply?

• Seed to Series A startups with at least an MVP
• Building a solution addressing one of our themes
• Market-tested solution that has gained traction
• Existing operations in Africa or demonstrated commitment to expanding in Africa

Interview date, Process and Venue for Accelerator Program

All applicants will undergo two rounds of screening by our program team. In the first round, each application will be reviewed for program alignment, existing traction, founding team, and proposed synergies with Visa. Shortlisted startups will be invited to participate in a series of virtual interviews, and finalists will be notified ahead of the program kickoff.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

The program will be delivered in a hybrid format and will last for 3-months in total. It will include an onboarding week, 10 virtual focus weeks, an investor week, and an in-person Demo Day. Other in-person events maybe be organized during the duration of the program such as city meetups or other country or regional events.

This program will be run primarily in English; however, we can explore providing language support in case your startup may need the help of our in-market country teams. Please note the interview process will be conducted entirely in English.

For more details,visit VISA website