There are fewer than three weeks before applications close for the second cohort of the Barclays Accelerator programme, powered by Techstars, an initiative aimed at uncovering the next M-Pesa or Paypal by working with exceptional fintech entrepreneurs innovating Africa’s financial services industry.
The Barclays Accelerator is a three-month intensive start-up accelerator programme, focused on innovations in financial services. This partnership between Barclays and Techstars brings two global networks together into one to offer entrepreneurs unprecedented access not only to a leading international bank but also to Techstars’ mentor and investor relationships.
With applications open to start-ups from anywhere in the world, 10 companies will ultimately be selected to participate in our 13-week programme in Cape Town. The selected start-ups will also be able to leverage our Barclays Techstars Accelerator programme offices in London, New York and Tel Aviv as we connect fintech powerhouses across the major finance capitals.
We work with start-ups across the financial services sphere – payments, lending, financial inclusion, digital banking solutions, trading, cyber security, data analytics, machine learning, cryptocurrency, insurance, wealth management and more.
We have seen significant growth in some of the companies we have assisted through our Accelerator programme in recent months. Jamii Africa, for example, has just raised $750,000 of external funding. These funds will help scale the company, which offers a micro health insurance platform from as little as $1 a month, so that more low-income communities across Africa will be able to access the product.
Another start-up that has participated in the Barclays Accelerator programme – Ghanaian venture Asoriba – has scaled to 70,000 users and expanded its geographic reach through a new partnership with Interswitch in Nigeria. Beyonic, the mass payments platform has entered three additional African markets in three months, and continues to grow their partnership base.
If your startup has the potential to grow exponentially in a short space of time with the right support, join the Barclays Accelerator and apply here: https://www.barclaysaccelerator
We will accept the last applications on 5 February, following which 10 ventures will be selected to join the Accelerator programme in Cape Town from 9 May 2017.
