Investment Readiness Accelerator

Investment Readiness Accelerator for Social Enterprises

In partnership with The Human Development Innovation Fund (HDIF), Exim Bank Tanzania and Village Capital, we are excited to launch the call for applications for the 2020 Investment Readiness Accelerator for Social Enterprises.

Supporting entrepreneurs helping to solve Tanzania’s social and innovation challenges.

Low Access to Essential Social Services: Tanzania faces immense social challenges, with a majority of the population lacking access to clean water, the national energy grid, financial services, and affordable healthcare, education and food.

High Unemployment: Rates of unemployment in Tanzania are rising. Every year, 800,000 Tanzanians enter the labour market but there are only enough jobs for 50,000 of them, of which the vast majority are considered “vulnerable” and informal working agreements.

Underdeveloped Innovation Ecosystem: Tanzania has low business growth in part due to an ecosystem that lacks robust, coordinated pillars of (a) capacity building, (b) access to networks, and (c) access to appropriate types and sufficient amounts of capital.

[sources: water.org 2019, Tanzania Invest 2016, FSDT Annual Report 2017-2018, World Bank 2017]

Entrepreneurs can solve these challenges. Innovators have the potential to develop disruptive and scalable products and services that help this large and growing population while generating job growth and local economic development. However, early-stage entrepreneurs often lack the necessary training, networks, and capital to grow.

Programme Overview

We’re seeking startups from all regions of Tanzania that are tackling the largest challenges in the country’s most critical social sectors of:

(1) Education
(2) Healthcare
(3) Financial inclusion
(4) Clean energy
(5) Agriculture
(6) Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

The programme includes a series of workshops – these are typically four-day engagements – that provide our entrepreneurs with training to develop their business models, financials, pitches, sales pipelines, and other aspects. Entrepreneurs will also have one-on-one time with mentors, industry experts, investors, top local business leaders, and potential customers.

Selected startups are required to have one C-level team member attend all three workshops, and Anza will bear flight and lodging costs for any non-Dar-based participants.

However, pursuant to the Government of United Republic of Tanzania’s guidelines to avoid congregating group meetings where possible in response to COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop may have to run virtually with very few physical contact .

At the end of the programme, ventures will be selected by other entrepreneurs in the cohort to get investment from Anza Growth Fund.

The workshops will take place on the following dates:

Virtual Workshop Dates:
Workshop 1     15^th June 2020 to 26^th June 2020
Workshop 2     13^th July 2020 to 24^th July 2020
Workshop 3     17^th Aug 2020 to 28^th Aug 2020

Physical Workshop dates:
Workshop 1     15th June 2020 to 19th June 2020
Workshop 2     13th July 2020 to 17th July 2020
Workshop 3     17th Aug 2020 to 21st Aug 2020

For more information about the programme, please see our FAQ.

Key Benefits

Training and mentorship to help you scale operations and get investment ready
Participants to this programme grow 20% of their revenues and hire 3 more people on average within the year of programming
Get access to a lifetime, affordable and risk tolerant capital to fund your business growth
Get connected to relevant networks that drive your business growth

Application

The 2020 application window is now closed.

Thanks to everyone who applied. We are in the process of reviewing applications and will contact you if you make it through to the final selection.

Enter your email address below to receive an alert when our application window is open: