Nine startups from across the continent have been selected for the Katapult Africa Accelerator Programme, which provides access to US$150,000 in funding and other support.
The Norway-based Katapult Accelerator has invested in a host of African startups, and also launched spin-offs such as Katapult Ocean and a climate-focused programme. Disrupt Africa reported in March it had partnered the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change, Norrsken, NORAD, and Smart Africa to launch the Katapult Africa Accelerator Programme, which will look to accelerate and invest in agri-tech and climate-tech startups.
The programme was officially launched last week in Kigali, Rwanda, with nine African impact technology startups working on a wide range of transformative agri-, food- and climate-tech solutions selected to join the programme.
As part of the Katapult Africa Accelerator Programme, the startups will take part in sessions focused on growth, impact and investment readiness. For three months the cohort of companies will engage in rigorous workshops, online meetups, mentor sessions, pitch training and investor presentations, with the aim of making the impact startups ready for scaling in African markets.
Kenya is represented by two startups, namely agri-tech startup GrowAgric and aquaculture innovation Aquarech, as is Ghana, in the shape of food producer Legendary Foods and social finance app Spark.
Nigeria also has two representatives – cold storage solution Gricd and agri-tech startup Vetsark – while the cohort is completed by Madagascan supply chain solution Elucid, Senegalese B2B marketplace Afrikamart, and Moroccan agri-tech startup Sand to Green.
The startups were chosen from a field of 700 applicants.
“At Katapult we are highly ambitious and we set our vision to nothing short of building a thriving world for all. It is for this reason that today’s launch represents an important step forwards for both Katapult and the impact community,” said Katapult founder Tharald Nustad.
“Our decision to launch Katapult in Africa is driven by both a clear recognition of the need for change and an unprecedented opportunity for innovation. With a climate in crisis, it is all too clear that we must accelerate technologies to both overcome climate challenges and ensure food security. We simultaneously believe that it is Africa with its fast-growing business communities and young, tech-savvy population who are best placed to deliver highly scalable, highly impactful solutions.”
