Dream VC, an investment accelerator focused on Africa, has begun taking applications for the third batch of its talent accelerator programme.
Launch into VC (LIVC) and an investor accelerator will be part of the 2023 cohort.
The training is intended for individuals who want to learn how to become investors or work for venture capital businesses.
The Launch into Venture Capital (LIVC) programme will run for three months, commencing in June 2023 and finishing in August 2023.
Investor Accelerator will run for five months, commencing in June and finishing in October.
“The concept of Launch into VC is comparable to a lot of fellowship programmes that currently exist in the US and Europe,” said co-founder Cindy Ai, “and the reason these programmes came about was because these VCs realized that they needed to train people in the skills they needed for entry-level employment.”
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What it takes to take part
To apply to Dream VC, you DO NOT require any prior experience in investing nor any sort of accreditation. Previous fellows came from various origins and experiences; many did not fit the “traditional moulds” for success in venture capital, but they have since gone on to achieve that success and thrive in the industry. We are looking for people who are in tune with the rhythm of the African startup landscape and who are willing to get their hands dirty in a genuine effort to assist the people in their community.
Dream VC’s ultimate goal is to close the funding gap and make it possible for more investors with an interest in Africa to participate in the startup ecosystem.
The LIVC and investor accelerator programmes offered by Dream VC each have a price tag of $1,000 and $5,000, respectively. The application procedure is broken up into four sections, two of which are interviews and the other two of which are assignments.
Since its commencement in 2021, there have been over 2000 applications, but only about 80 fellows have been taught up to this point. This indicates an acceptance rate of fewer than 10%.
The Aim of Dream VC
Mark Kleyner and Cindy Ai want to launch Dream VC in 2021 with the aim of educating the next generation of African startup financiers. It is an investor accelerator programme designed to close the skill gap in Africa’s venture capital industry.
Dream VC is one of the first global venture capital fellowships to concentrate solely on investing within the African continent. The number of startups and investors on the African continent has been growing at an exponential rate over the past few years. The continent is home to 54 countries and a remarkable variety of ecosystems. Nevertheless, investing on the continent has many nuances that do not conform to traditional models and objectives of investing in areas such as Silicon Valley, and it justly merits a comprehensive programme covering this topic due to the fact that it differs significantly from investing in areas like Silicon Valley.
The programme offers rigorous online fellowships on venture capital and investing in emerging markets around the world.
In the ecosystem of venture capital in Africa, exceptional people who are underrepresented and underestimated are Dream VC’s target audience for support. These are people who exemplify our culture of being willing to do difficult things in spite of challenges, who are genuinely enthusiastic about growing the ecosystem in which they operate, and who are highly collaborative by nature, always thinking about giving back rather than becoming fixated on the competition.