With the help of Techstars, Botswana is becoming more well-known as an emerging African centre for entrepreneurship.
Techstars Startup Community Catalyst Africa Botswana revealed on Monday that they are here to help early-stage entrepreneurs sharpen their ideas, scale their businesses, and make a lasting impact in their startup communities.
The program will include various educational activities for startups, such as Techstars Founder Catalyst, Techstars Community Development Lab, and Techstars Startup Weekends.
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It also works with Techstars and Merce Anders Equity Group, a private equity firm based in Botswana.
“Botswana is uniquely positioned to become a vibrant startup community,” says Emilie Vallauri, Program Manager at Techstars. “Through this partnership with Merce Anders Equity Group, we aim to unlock the full potential of entrepreneurs in Botswana and neighbouring countries, enabling them to create transformative solutions locally and globally.”
The program includes:
Techstars Startup Weekend (March 28–30, 2025): A 54-hour event for aspiring entrepreneurs to form teams, develop ideas, and pitch to judges. Winners gain entry to the Founder Catalyst program.
Techstars Community Development Lab (July 16, 2025): An invitation-only workshop for community leaders in Botswana, fostering collaboration and sharing strategies for building sustainable startup ecosystems.
Techstars Founder Catalyst (May 5–July 20, 2025): A 10-week hybrid pre-accelerator for up to 20 early-stage startups, focusing on funding readiness and growth. Applications open on January 13, 2025.
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“We are thrilled to partner with Techstars… to reshape the South African Community Development Community (SADC) startup ecosystem for global growth,” says Moagi Onkabetse, Executive Director of Merce Anders Equity Group.
“Together, we aim to transform startups from ideation to scaling… establishing Botswana as the startup capital of Africa and a prime destination for market-ready solutions. This partnership marks a significant step toward sustainable innovation and investment in the region.”
Techstars Founder Catalyst Africa Botswana applications are due March 16, 2025, for founders from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.