The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)‘s main programme, the NINJA Accelerator, which started in 2015, is now offered in South Africa.
The programme will emphasise open innovation and strategic collaboration between Japanese and South African firms.
The program aims to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth in South Africa while promoting cross-cultural exchange and learning between Japanese and African businesses.
Read also: IT-IQ and Ruckus Unveils Tech Partnership
Exploring Business Collaboration with NEC XON
To investigate possible business collaborations with NEC XON, a prominent pan-African organisation majority-owned by NEC Corporation, bright companies are now encouraged to apply to the JICA NINJA Accelerator in South Africa Open Innovation Edition.
This programme is a component of JICA’s larger goal to research and create efficient forms of cooperation between local entrepreneurs and Japanese businesses, helping to foster creative private sector partnerships that will ultimately support the expansion and advancement of the local startup scene.
Through this program, selected startups will have the opportunity to collaborate with NEC XON and other Japanese companies, gaining access to resources, expertise, and networks that can help them scale and succeed.
The program is open to startups operating in various sectors, including technology, healthcare, finance, and more, and is particularly interested in startups with innovative solutions that can address pressing social and economic challenges in Africa.
In addition to helping identify possible exit routes in the event of a grand strategic match, the goal is to improve startups’ prospects of finding new strategic partners, investors, or business clients in NEC.
Suppose the chosen startup ends up becoming an investment portfolio business. In that case, all these results might also be precious to VCs, according to Kohei Muto, CEO of Double Feather Partners, the Japan-based VC and consultancy firm spearheading the project on behalf of JICA and focused on Africa.
Read also: Ghana unveils comprehensive guidelines for investment-based crowdfunding
About NiNJA Accelerator
NINJA, Next INnovation with Japan, is a startup support project piloted by the program sponsor, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
JICA and implementation partners Double Feather Partners, Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support, Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory, and GrowthAfrica have launched the NINJA Accelerator in Kenya to provide integrated resources for enhanced business success in Kenya.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) coordinates official development assistance for the Japanese government in developing countries and aims to promote international cooperation by supporting the socio-economic development, recovery, or economic stability of emerging economies.
Interested startups can apply here until July 28, 2024.