Seedstars/Shell Foundation Energy, Mobility & Agriculture Innovation Program 2021 for African tech entrepreneurs

The search is on for Sub-Saharan African startups with tech solutions aimed at impacting positively lower income communities through those industries.

Seedstars and Shell Foundation have joined forces to look for sustainable, scalable and innovative startups addressing universal access to energy-related challenges, as well as sustainable agriculture, mobility and transportation.

With support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), they are launching the Energy, Mobility and Agriculture Innovation Program to find African tech entrepreneurs in the mobility, transportation, energy, and agriculture space in order to provide them with the resources, training, and potential funding to scale their startups and impact.

The objective of this program is to support, catalyse and train the highest potential tech-based early stage (seed)African-led  startups working towards:

1. universal access to energy (household energy to heat, light and cook; energy for business and large communities);
2. sustainable mobility and  transportation (clean and safe transportation in rural areas and last mile transportation);
3. or sustainable agriculture value chains ( innovations that improve access to knowledge, finance, markets or knowledge for smallholder farmers).

Table of Content

• About SeedStars
• Seedstars/Shell Foundation Energy, Mobility & Agriculture Innovation Program
• Aim and Benefits of Seedstars/Shell Foundation Energy, Mobility & Agriculture Innovation Program
• Requirements for Seedstars/Shell Foundation Energy, Mobility & Agriculture Innovation Program Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About SeedStars

Seedstars is a private group of companies with the mission to impact people's lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. ... Our initiatives are focused on connecting stakeholders within these ecosystems, building tech companies from scratch and investing in the top entrepreneurs. Seedstars celebrates positive impact and the pioneers who create it. We roam the globe every year to connect with the most amazing changemakers of emerging markets. Talented minds and successful startups are not to be found only in the Silicon Valley, they are everywhere. Seedstars empow...

 

Aim and Benefits of Seedstars/Shell Foundation Energy, Mobility & Agriculture Innovation Program

Selected startups will be able to take part in Seedstars’ three-month Investment Readiness Program, which will provide the entrepreneurs with 1-on-1 mentoring with industry experts, potential funding opportunities, and leverage  human and knowledge resources available within Shell Foundation.

Requirements for Seedstars/Shell Foundation Energy, Mobility & Agriculture Innovation Program Qualification

The following are the criteria for startups interested in applying for the program: 

1. Startup should be African-led and based or operating in at least one Sub-Saharan African country;
2. Tech solution must be focused on the mobility, transportation, energy, or agriculture value chains;
3. Startup must be at their early stage/seed round with a minimum viable product (MVP);
4. Startup must have initial traction and already able to generate revenue; 
5. startup must have raised only less than $1M to date; and 
6. Startup should have significant positive impact on lower income communities (in line with SDGs 2, 7 or 11)

Application Deadline

December 20, 2020

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to SeedStars on share.hsforms.com to apply

To become part of the mission of providing universal access to energy, and making agriculture and mobility more inclusive and sustainable, send in your applications to the Energy and Mobility Innovation Program page before December 20, 2020: https://seedsta.rs/3meCEG1.

For more details, visit Seedstars/Shell Foundation website