Growth Accelerator Liberia

What Growth Accelerator Liberia does

Growth Accelerator Liberia (GAL) is a donor-funded business development and grant program launched in August 2021 in Monrovia, Liberia, operating out of the iCampus facility at 150 Carey Street, Snapper Hill. The program supports Liberian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and agricultural cooperatives through an annual cohort-based competitive application process — applicants submit via an online Google Form, undergo pre-screening and due diligence visits, and pitch to independent judges in a shark-tank style ceremony. Selected ventures receive co-financing grants in three tiers ($10,000, $20,000, or $40,000 USD) plus six months of intensive mentorship, coaching, and business development assistance.

The program's core product is the integrated Growth Accelerator Liberia Programme, which combines grant capital, technical assistance, mentorship, and business training delivered through specialized cohorts. Beyond standard MSME and agricultural cooperative tracks, GAL operates dedicated cohorts for clean/renewable energy ventures (Cohort Three) and forest-based enterprises engaged in non-timber forest products. Underlying technology is minimal: the program is not a technology company and runs on a Google Forms application portal, a WordPress-based website (growlib.org), and standard social media channels for outreach.

GAL is implemented by a consortium of three core partners — iCampus Liberia, GrowthAfrica, and Accountability Lab Liberia — under the UNDP Livelihood & Employment Creation Project, with AgroTech Liberia, Business Start-up Center Monrovia, and East Africa Market Development Associates as additional implementing partners. Funding comes from UNDP Liberia (lead), the EU Delegation to Liberia, the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia, and the Government of Liberia (Ministry of Commerce & Industry). Since 2021, the program has invested over $1.7 million USD in direct co-financing across 92 MSMEs and cooperatives and delivered hands-on assistance to more than 110 ventures across five cohorts (Cohort Five active in 2025), with commercial bank partnerships (IBLL, UBA Liberia, Bloom Bank Africa, Ecobank) layered in 2024 to provide follow-on debt capital to grantees.

Name

Growth Accelerator Liberia

Legal name

Growth Accelerator Liberia Programme

Website

https://growlib.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Growth Accelerator Liberia is a donor-funded MSME and agricultural cooperative accelerator launched in 2021, offering $10K–$40K co-financing grants plus six months of mentorship through annual competitive cohorts. It serves Liberian entrepreneurs across 11+ counties, funded by UNDP, EU, Swedish Embassy, and the Government of Liberia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Development & Entrepreneurship Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funds (FSANAJAE)

Keywords

• Business accelerator program
• Co-financing grants
• MSME development
• Agricultural cooperative support
• Entrepreneurship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Monrovia

HQ country

Liberia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Growth Accelerator Liberia is a donor-funded accelerator program that provides co-financing grants to eligible MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives in Liberia. The program does not generate commercial revenue but distributes funding received from development partners including UNDP, EU, Swedish Embassy, and the Government of Liberia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Growth Accelerator Liberia is a business accelerator program that provides co-financing grants of up to $40,000 USD (across three tiers of $10,000, $20,000, and $40,000), six months of intensive mentorship, business development training, and technical assistance to innovative Liberian MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives. The program is delivered through structured cohort-based tracks (standard MSMEs, Agricultural Cooperatives, Forest-based Enterprises, and Clean/Renewable Energy Ventures) with applicants selected via an annual competitive application, due diligence, and shark-tank-style pitching process. The program has deployed over $1.7 million USD in direct co-financing to 92 MSMEs and cooperatives across Liberia since 2021.

Product overview

Growth Accelerator Liberia is a business accelerator programme offering a unified platform of support services for Liberian MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives. The programme provides co-financing grants (up to $40,000 USD), technical assistance, mentorship, and business development training through structured cohort-based programs. The core offering consists of the Growth Accelerator Liberia Programme with multiple specialized tracks including standard MSMEs support, agricultural cooperatives, forest-based enterprises, and clean/renewable energy ventures. Each cohort provides graduated support tiers with intensive training workshops, due diligence visits, and six months of mentorship to help ventures scale sustainably.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Growth Accelerator Liberia Programme A business accelerator program that supports innovative and impact-driven for-profit businesses and cooperatives in Liberia through co-financing grants, technical assistance, mentorship, and business development training. Five cohorts have been delivered since 2021.
• Co-financing Grants Provides access to co-financing grants of up to $40,000 USD for qualifying MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives across three tiers: $10,000, $20,000, and $40,000 USD.
• Technical Assistance Expert support including industry research, policy guidance, and tailored capacity building for supported ventures.
• Mentorship Programme Six months of intensive entrepreneurship training, catalytic support, and access to an extensive network of like-minded entrepreneurs and industry experts.
• Business Development Training Tailored business training, coaching, and workshops covering topics such as customers, competitors, product innovation, value chain, supply chain, production, distribution, sales, and customer care.
• Forest-based Enterprises Cohort Specialized cohort providing $10,000 USD grants to 30 selected forest-based businesses including beekeeping, honey production, rattan products, and furniture-making enterprises focused on sustainable forest management and non-timber forest products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of supported enterprises are women-led
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in the Community-Based Forestry and Protected Area Management (CBFM) project, providing technical expertise for sustainable forest management and agricultural development.
• Ministry of Commerce & IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Government implementing partner providing policy guidance, institutional support, and coordination. The ministry's Deputy Minister for Small Business Administration actively participates in program activities including pitching ceremonies and program reviews.
• Forestry Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Governmental implementing partner for forest-based enterprises cohort. Works with the Growth Accelerator to support sustainable forest management and community-based forestry initiatives under the CBFM project.
• iCampus LiberiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Primary implementing partner providing the program venue (4,000 sq ft campus in Monrovia), operational infrastructure, and program management. CEO Luther Jeke serves as key program lead. iCampus is Liberia's first multi-disciplinary innovative community space focused on technology, accountability, and social change.
• GrowthAfricacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Implementing partner with proven track record in business acceleration across Africa. Provides mentorship program design, coaching methodology, and technical assistance to support Liberian entrepreneurs.
• Accountability Lab LiberiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Implementing partner with strong track record of working to alleviate hardship and strengthen organizations. Country Director Lawrence Yealue leads implementation. Provides business development competition facilitation and community engagement.
• Agro Tech LiberiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Implementing partner providing technical agricultural expertise and support for agricultural cooperative and MSME beneficiaries in the program.
• Business Start-up Center MonroviaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Implementing partner providing startup support services, business development assistance, and local ecosystem connections for program beneficiaries.
• East Africa Market Development Associates Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Implementing partner providing market development expertise and business development support for program participants.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• African Development Foundation: US government independent agency providing grant capital and technical assistance to African MSMEs, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs. Comparable donor-funded accelerator/grantmaking model with similar enterprise support focus, though operating at a multi-country scale.
• Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works: Large-scale, multi-country initiative focused on youth employment and entrepreneurship across Africa. Operates as a donor/funding partner (not an operational accelerator), but funds many comparable MSME and agriculture programs; relevant as a potential future capital source.
• Acumen: Global impact investor running accelerator-style programs (e.g., Acumen Academy, Pioneer Energy) that combine patient capital, fellowship, and capacity building for early-stage ventures serving low-income communities. Comparable in mission and grant-plus-support model.

Direct peers

• Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme: Flagship African entrepreneurship program providing $5,000 seed capital, mentorship, and training to African MSMEs. Highly comparable to Growth Accelerator Liberia in model (grant + mentorship + cohort-based selection) and target beneficiary profile, though operating at a continental rather than national scale.
• GrowthAfrica: Pan-African accelerator that Growth Accelerator Liberia has engaged as an implementing partner. Directly comparable in mission and methodology (enterprise acceleration, mentorship-led, multi-country), though GrowthAfrica typically serves growth-stage rather than MSMEs and operates without grant distribution.
• Villgro Africa: Impact enterprise incubator providing tailored capital and incubation to early-stage African businesses in health, agriculture, and clean energy. Directly comparable to Growth Accelerator Liberia's MSME/agritech/clean energy focus and grant-plus-instrument approach.
• Anzisha Prize: African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation program supporting very young African entrepreneurs (15–22) with cash prizes, mentorship, and training. Directly comparable cohort-based accelerator model with grant-style funding and youth entrepreneurship focus, though skewed to younger founders.
• Seedstars: Swiss-based emerging markets accelerator running country-level competitions and cohort programs across Africa and other emerging markets. Comparable cohort-driven accelerator model targeting early-stage ventures, though Seedstars is more venture-capital-oriented and less grant-funded.

Emerging players

• IntelleGrow: India-based impact-finance provider offering debt capital to early-stage SMEs; while geographically distinct, comparable in deploying non-equity catalytic capital plus capacity building to growth-stage MSMEs, often in partnership with accelerators.

Others

• iCampus Liberia: Primary implementing partner and HQ host for Growth Accelerator Liberia. While organizationally entangled rather than purely competitive, iCampus itself is a comparable Liberia-based innovation hub offering incubation, workspace, and programming to local entrepreneurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/grow_lib
• Facebookfacebook.com/growlib
• Instagraminstagram.com/grow_lib

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Growth Accelerator Liberia