Microsoft and Flapmax Launch Accelerator Program for 12 African Startups

Flapmax, in collaboration with Microsoft, launched the FAST Accelerator Founder Series last week, after graduating participants representing 12 businesses throughout Africa. Participants were picked from 800 applicants for the 12-week accelerator program, which was established to help African entrepreneurs scale more sustainably.

“We were proud to share the work of each graduate of our first program, and hope their success inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Dave Ojika, CEO, Flapmax. “In addition to the next cohort of Accelerator participants, the Founders Series will continue to shine a light on the work of entrepreneurs across Africa. We are already planning a demo day to come this fall.” 

FAST is interested in assisting all 800 entrepreneurs who submitted for the inaugural accelerator program, as well as new B2B companies and industry experts across Africa, including small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), to expand sustainably.

The benefit of participating in the FAST Accelerator Program was highlighted at the event, with entrepreneurs enhancing their business growth, marketing, and other growth strategies. Flapmax will continue to assist these startups in areas including cloud enablement, AI integration, and a variety of other services, in collaboration with Microsoft.

The participants were selected from across a variety of areas such as education, fintech, agtech, sustainability, and health. The entrepreneurs' inventions address the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include issues such as inclusion, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, among others.

Applicants for the FAST program must be based in Africa, ready to develop or expand within the continent, and have a proven product-market fit that addressed one or more sustainability goals.

The FAST Accelerator Founder program aims to raise awareness of African startups, showcase how their founders are using technology to scale sustainability initiatives, underline the solutions proposed by diverse entrepreneurs across Africa, increase brand awareness, and establish a global community of endorsers.

Microsoft and Flapmax claim that the program will help the participants become more sustainable while also exposing SMEs to a plethora of prospects for business development and market awareness.

“Microsoft believes that African startups are well-placed to become a cornerstone of the African digital economy, with relevant solutions to local societal challenges. Participation in the FAST startup accelerator program will help these entrepreneurs capture available funding opportunities and plan for growth and future market expansion,” said Gerald Maithya, Startups Lead, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.

Flapmax is one of Microsoft's strategic partners in Africa and beyond, helping over 10,000 small and medium-sized businesses and startups build and improve their businesses for growth in the economy and the creation of jobs in the area.

Dave Ojika, the CEO of Flapmax, spoke at the event and informed the startups that Flapmax, in collaboration with Microsoft, will continue to offer them with the necessary support for growth.

For more information visit: https://www.fastaccelerator.com/