News

New partnership with Seedstars announced to support African-led start-ups

Shell Foundation recently partnered with Seedstars to look for sustainable, scalable and innovative start-ups addressing universal access to energy-related challenges, as well as sustainable agriculture, mobility and transportation.

With co-funding from UKAID, we have launched the Energy, Mobility and Agriculture Innovation Program to find African tech entrepreneurs in the mobility, transportation, energy, and agriculture space in order to provide them with the resources, training, and potential funding to scale their start-ups and impact.

The objective of the programme is to support, catalyse and train the highest potential tech-based early stage (seed) African-led startups working towards:

  • Universal access to energy (household energy to heat, light and cook; energy for business and large communities)
  • Sustainable mobility and transportation (clean and safe transportation in rural areas and last mile transportation)
  • Sustainable agriculture value chains (innovations that improve access to knowledge, finance, markets or knowledge for smallholder farmers).

 

Interested applicants should send applications before Sunday, 20 December.

 

Selected startups will be able to take part in Seedstars’ three-month Investment Readiness Programme, which will provide the entrepreneurs with 1:1 mentoring with industry experts, potential funding opportunities, and leverage human and knowledge resources available within Shell Foundation.

“Start-ups have immense potential to solve Africa’s biggest development challenges and local African entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to develop these solutions. We are excited to collaborate with Seedstars to identify and support some of the most promising African-led start-ups that will scale these solutions and improve millions of lives across the continent over time,” said Tara Collier, Market Development Manager, Shell Foundation.

The following are the criteria for startups interested in applying for the program:

  • Start-ups should be African-led and based or operating in at least one Sub-Saharan African country
  • Tech solutions must be focused on the mobility, transportation, energy, or agriculture value chains
  • Start-ups must be at their early stage/seed round with a minimum viable product (MVP)
  • Start-ups must have initial traction and already able to generate revenue
  • Start-ups must have raised only less than $1M to date
  • Start-ups should have significant positive impact on lower income communities (in line with SDGs 2, 7 or 11)

To become part of the mission of providing universal access to energy, and making agriculture and mobility more inclusive and sustainable, send in your applications to the Energy and Mobility Innovation Program page before Sunday, 20 December, 2020.