Innovest Afrika
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Innovest Afrika firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innovest Afrika
- Legal name
- Innovest Afrika
- Website
- https://innovestafrika.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Innovest Afrika industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator and Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN), Emerging Managers / Seeding Platforms (FSAHAKAI)
Keywords
Where Innovest Afrika is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Innovest Afrika business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Catalyst Fund Investment Returns: The Innovest Afrika Catalyst Fund is an actively managed early-stage fund that backs high-potential startups. Returns from successful investments support the organization's nonprofit operations and mission to bridge the funding gap for founders of African descent.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free accelerator program for early-stage startups |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Innovest Afrika product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innovest Afrika is a nonprofit ventures platform that runs an 8-week fully remote global accelerator (Innovest Ignite) for pre-seed and seed-stage startups founded by people of African descent. It also operates the Catalyst Fund, an actively managed early-stage fund backing African-built or African-serving startups, and hosts Investment Summit and Demo Day events that connect founders with global investors, policymakers, and corporate innovation leaders. The Innovest Investment Readiness Course is offered as an on-demand educational sub-product.
Product overview
Innovest Afrika is a nonprofit ventures platform offering a portfolio of programs to accelerate African-founded startups globally. The core offerings include the Innovest Ignite Accelerator (an 8-week virtual program for pre-seed and seed startups), the Investment Summit & Demo Day (a convening platform connecting founders with investors), and the Innovest Afrika Catalyst Fund (an early-stage investment fund). The organization also offers an Investment Readiness Course as an on-demand educational sub-product. Together, these programs provide founders with education, mentorship, investor access, and potential capital investment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Innovest Ignite Accelerator: An 8-week global accelerator program focused on financial rigor, profitability, and investment readiness for early-stage startups
- Innovest Afrika Catalyst Fund
- Innovest Investment Readiness Course
Products and services
- Innovest Ignite Accelerator An 8-week fully remote global accelerator program for pre-seed and seed-stage startups focused on financial rigor, profitability, and investment readiness. Provides entrepreneurial training, resources, mentorship, and access to investor networks for founders of African descent. Cohorts run across Africa, Europe, and North America (e.g., Cohort 5 Nigeria, Cohort 6 Kenya, Cohort 7 Rwanda) and culminate in a Demo Day pitch event. The program is provided at no cost to participating startups.
- Investment Summit & Demo Day A high-level convening platform connecting founders with global investors, policymakers, and corporate innovation leaders. Designed to nurture a robust ecosystem that fosters impact, innovation, and entrepreneurship, with Demo Day serving as the primary investment readiness milestone for accelerator cohort graduates.
- Innovest Afrika Catalyst Fund An actively managed early-stage fund backing high-potential startups built by Africans or serving African markets. Invests in capital-efficient, scalable companies innovating to solve challenges that drive access and inclusion. Returns from successful investments support the organization's nonprofit operations and mission.
- Innovest Investment Readiness Course An on-demand course designed to prepare founders for investment readiness, available for enrollment as part of the accelerator program ecosystem.
Companies that use Innovest Afrika
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Innovest Afrika technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Innovest Afrika partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- African Business Roundtable (ABR)minorPartner organization supporting the Innovest Afrika ecosystem, providing resources and connections for founders of African descent.
- PAFTRACminorPartner organization in the Innovest Afrika ecosystem supporting African entrepreneurship initiatives.
- Babson CollegeminorAcademic partner providing educational resources and legitimacy to the accelerator program. Founder Femi Moito holds an MBA from Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
- U-LawminorLegal education partner supporting startup founders with legal knowledge and resources through the Innovest Afrika ecosystem.
- FoodTech ChallengeminorSector-focused partner organization supporting food technology innovation within the accelerator ecosystem.
- HEBminorPartner organization contributing to the Innovest Afrika ecosystem supporting African founders.
- CloudplexominorTechnology partner providing cloud and technical infrastructure support to the Innovest Afrika ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Innovest Afrika competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator network with multiple industry and geography-specific programs, providing mentorship, capital, and demo day access. It is a broad incumbent peer operating accelerator programs across many markets including Africa.
- Startupbootcamp (Rainmaking): Startupbootcamp operates industry-specific accelerator programs across multiple geographies with mentor networks and demo days. It is a broad incumbent peer with similar accelerator model and investor convening activities.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play is a global innovation platform and accelerator connecting startups with corporate partners and investors across multiple verticals and geographies. It is a broad incumbent peer in the accelerator/convening space.
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's largest startup accelerator, offering a batch-based program for early-stage founders with mentorship, investor access, and Demo Day. While far larger and not Africa-focused, it defines the accelerator model and competes for global early-stage deal flow.
- 500 Global (500 Startups): 500 Global is a venture capital firm and accelerator with a strong presence in emerging markets including Africa, running cohort-based programs and seed investments. It is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping accelerator and fund activities in similar geographies.
Emerging players
- Google for Startups Black Founders Fund: Google for Startups runs the Black Founders Fund providing non-dilutive capital and support to Black-led startups, with overlap in targeting founders of African descent in the US and Africa. It is an emerging player that directly overlaps with Innovest's mission demographic.
- Dreamit Ventures: Dreamit Ventures runs cohort-based accelerator programs for early-stage startups with focus on specific verticals and underrepresented founders. It is an emerging player with comparable cohort structure and investor demo day model.
Direct peers
- Village Capital: Village Capital runs impact-focused accelerator programs globally with an emphasis on underrepresented founders and venture-building support. It is a direct peer operating cohort-based accelerators with investor network access, comparable in mission-driven positioning.
- Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Program: The Tony Elumelu Foundation runs one of the largest African entrepreneurship programs, providing training, mentorship, and seed capital to African founders annually. It is the most directly comparable Africa-focused entrepreneurship accelerator and a primary competitor for African founder mindshare.
Regional players
- Janngo Capital (and Janngo Capital Startup Studio): Janngo Capital is a pan-African venture fund and startup studio backing and building tech-enabled companies led by African founders. It is a regional peer operating in similar African founder investment and support space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Innovest Afrika social profiles
Digital presenceInnovest Afrika financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innovest Afrika leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Innovest Afrika funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Innovest Afrika M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Innovest Afrika
What does Innovest Afrika do?
Innovest Afrika is a nonprofit ventures platform that runs an 8-week fully remote global accelerator (Innovest Ignite) for pre-seed and seed-stage startups founded by people of African descent. It also operates the Catalyst Fund, an actively managed early-stage fund backing African-built or African-serving startups, and hosts Investment Summit and Demo Day events that connect founders with global investors, policymakers, and corporate innovation leaders. The Innovest Investment Readiness Course is offered as an on-demand educational sub-product.
Is Innovest Afrika a public or private company?
Innovest Afrika is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Innovest Afrika founded?
Innovest Afrika was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Innovest Afrika based?
Innovest Afrika is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Innovest Afrika make money?
One revenue line is on record: catalyst Fund Investment Returns.
Who are Innovest Afrika's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Techstars, Startupbootcamp (Rainmaking), Plug and Play Tech Center, Y Combinator and 500 Global (500 Startups). Emerging players are Google for Startups Black Founders Fund and Dreamit Ventures. Direct peers are Village Capital and Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Program. Janngo Capital (and Janngo Capital Startup Studio) is listed as a regional player.
Does Innovest Afrika have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innovest Afrika.
What industry is Innovest Afrika in?
Innovest Afrika's product category is Startup Accelerator and Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8742.