- Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program is a three-month intensive initiative
- The second cohort’s Demo Day was a culmination of a 12-week intensive program
- The third cohort of the program commenced on November 5th in Abidjan
Four Startups from East Africa pitched at the Demo Day for the second cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program in Cape Town, South Africa.
The four were part of the 23 fintech startups to present their groundbreaking solutions to an audience of venture capitalists, angel investors, ecosystem enablers, and business partners.
The four startups include Ethiopia’s Chapa, a merchant solutions startup. Kenya’s CheckUps Medical Hub, an embedded finance platform. Tanzania’s AzamPay, a B2B Marketplace and Tanzania’s Beem, a social commerce platform.
According to Aida Diara, Senior Vice President and Head of Visa Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa, “We are immensely proud to support these fintech pioneers, who are driving digital transformation and showcasing remarkable potential for growth and scalability. At Visa, we are committed to providing these visionary entrepreneurs with the platform and resources they need to succeed and make a significant impact.”
The Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program is a three-month intensive initiative designed to support Seed to Series A startups by offering one-on-one mentorship, training, and exclusive opportunities for funding and partnership. Launched in 2023, the program aligns with Visa’s commitment to invest $1 billion in Africa by 2027, aiming to uplift and bolster the continent’s digital transformation.
To date, the program has accelerated 45 startups across Africa, providing them with the tools and resources needed to scale their innovations and drive financial inclusion.
The second cohort’s Demo Day was a culmination of a 12-week intensive program that included training, mentorship, and networking opportunities. The highlights of the event included startup pitches from three batches representing different regions of Africa—West Africa, North Africa, and East & South Africa.
The third cohort of the program commenced on November 5th in Abidjan, welcoming 19 next-gen digital pan-African enablers. These startups operate across 21 African countries with 85% of them featuring female leadership, rising from 43% in the inaugural edition and 65% in the second edition. A trend that Visa is committed to accelerating.
The Demo Day serves as a pivotal moment for the participants of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program, offering unparalleled visibility and opportunities for growth and investment. By showcasing their innovative solutions to a curated audience of key ecosystem players and potential funding partners, the startups gain valuable exposure and the chance to form strategic collaborations that can propel their businesses forward.
