Six impact-driven Ghanaian startups have been selected to take part in MEST Express accelerator’s first-ever cohort focused on sustainability, banking US$5,000 in grant funding and other types of support.
MEST Express is one of three programmes, alongside Pre-MEST and MEST Scale, that MEST is 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. The focus of the latest cohort is to empower startups in Ghana that provide solutions that use technology to drive transformational change and create a more sustainable future for all.
At the beginning of the programme, the six selected startups have undergone a comprehensive needs assessment to identify key focus areas, and will now work with industry experts to develop bespoke solutions to their needs and challenges. Each startup has also been awarded US$5,000 in grant funding.
The selected startups include are e-commerce and courier platform Shaq Express, farmer financing platform Fluid Finance, baby and maternity e-commerce service Tiny Reusers, health consultation platform Digital Health Access, shea production resource provider Sommalife, and agri e-commerce service Africa Goodnest.
Since the launch of the MEST Express programme in September 2020, it has accelerated 80 startups in Ghana and provided over US$100,000 in grant funding. Over 200 jobs have been created as a result of its engagement with these startups.
