The Katapult Africa Accelerator Programme, which gives startups access to US$150,000 in funding and other support, has chosen nine startups from across the continent.

An intensive 90-day digital program has been organized by the Norwegian investment firm “Katapult Accelerator” through its branch in Africa with the goal of educating and supporting startup businesses in Africa.

The business was established in 2016 in Oslo, Norway, and has been concentrating on impact tech start-ups around the world. Nine startups from Africa’s startup scene that mostly deal with agricultural transformation, food production, distribution, logistics, and climate change solutions attended the intensive digital and physical workshop for this year’s African edition, which was hosted in Kigali.

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Katapult Africa Accelerator Program

The Katapult Africa Accelerator launch held on November 4 in Kigali, Rwanda, and organized by Katapult in collaboration with Norad, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Norrsken, and Smart Africa, gives the nine individuals whom they choose to participate in the program that will assist them in scaling their businesses the chance to present their business ideas.

GrowAgric and Aquarech from Kenya, Legendary Foods and Spark from Ghana, Gricd and Vetsak Cleva from Nigeria, Afikamart from Senegal, Sand to Green from Morocco, and Elucid, a start-up with offices in Madagascar and Ghana, are among the selected start-ups taking part in Katapult’s Accelerator Program.

The cohort of the chosen startups will participate in Katapult’s top-notch impact accelerator program for three months, where they will attend demanding workshops, virtual meetups, mentor sessions, pitch training, and investor presentations in order to prepare them for scaling in African markets.

Paula Ingabire, the minister of technology and innovation, praised the start-ups during her remarks at the accelerator program’s formal opening and emphasized the need for more innovations and concepts that offer long-term solutions for Africa.

The nine startups that Katapult chose after screening more than 700 startups represent the best talent on the continent working in the fields of food-, agri-, and climate impact-tech.

The five African nations that sent selected startups to Kigali demonstrate the true cross-continental nature of innovation.

Speaking at the program’s launch, Philip Gasaatura, the country director for Rwanda for Katapult, expressed his happiness for the future of Africa after witnessing Africans’ efforts to ensure that the issues in their communities and the continent are resolved. He added that African startups could assist.

“Through the accelerator program the focus will be on supporting these startups through their growth, investment, and impact strategies,” He said in a statement.

Meet the 15 Startups Selected by Google for Startups Accelerator Africa (Class 7)

The 9 Startups Selected by Katapult And How They Work 

Gricd (Nigeria): real-time asset monitoring assists firms in lowering perishables loss.

AquaRech LTD (Kenya): Innovating aquaculture to transform fish farmers’ livelihoods across Kenya, Aquarech is at the forefront of the field. All parties involved benefit from bolstering the fish value chain and leading sustainable, environmentally friendly practices. 

Spark (Ghana): A social finance app called Spark improves interactions with your contacts during purchases. Users may effortlessly talk and interact with one another using Spark, manage group money however they see fit and examine all transaction history in an organized manner.

Legendary Foods (Africa): utilizing insect agriculture to provide the nutrition of meat at the cost & sustainability of plants.

Elucid (Madagascar/Ghana): Elucid supports human rights in global supply chains by enhancing producers’ well-being and standard of living.

GrowAgric (Kenya): GrowAgric is a comprehensive solution that offers small-scale farmers access to education, working capital finance, digital tools for farm record keeping, and new markets for their products.

Vetsark Cleva (Nigeria): Vetsark aids with the digitalization of data and obtaining bank finance for farmers and agribusinesses.

Sand To Green (Morocco):  converting desert into arable land under the control of solar desalination and regenerative farming techniques.

Afikamart (Senegal): creating the best B2B marketplace for food businesses and smallholder farmers.