ELIGIBILITY:

Eligible startups must be less than two years old and meet the following at the time of application:

Be building a scalable, tech-enabled solution addressing a clearly defined market opportunity across Africa

Have a proof-of-concept prototype with early validation and a clear path to profitability, scalability, and inclusive impact

Demonstrate strong market understanding and a credible business model

Be led by at least two committed co-founders able to dedicate full-time effort to the venture and program

Be a registered company. 

They will not consider applications from startups with the following criteria: 

Marketplaces (E-commerce, middleman platforms)

Late-stage startups, which have raised significant capital and earn consistent revenue

Startups without potential to generate jobs

Non-tech enabled startups

Startups without functional prototypes

Startups that have been through more than two similar programs in the past 12 months

BENEFIT:

$50,000 USD in seed funding from CMU-Africa

12 months of targeted advisory support from experienced practitioners across product, growth, compliance, and investment to drive revenue, scale, and investor readiness.

$5,000 in AWS credits and $1,500 in Amazon technical support

Introductions to angel investors, VCs firms, and partners in Africa and Pittsburgh

Opportunity to connect CMU-Africa’s partner ecosystem across Africa

Connection to global entrepreneurship networks, including startups and industry partners at CMU’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh