Applications are now open for the 2025 Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator Program. The Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator is an 8-week program for seed-stage startups building solutions across Africa. Based in Nairobi this program is part of UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative, and is designed for founders developing technology-enabled approaches in agriculture, mobility, the built environment, and energy. The program is looking for bold, sustainability-driven companies ready to scale their vision and drive change.
As part of UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative this 8-week program will take place in the GreenTech Hub in Nairobi (4 weeks in person, 4 weeks hybrid). The program helps startups refine their commercial strategy, strengthen their technical foundation, and connect with a supportive ecosystem. Through a mix of mentorship, peer learning, and hands-on programming, the goal is simple: help founders develop their ideas into scalable, sustainability-driven businesses.
If you’re a founder…
- Building at the seed stage in Africa for the African market
- Launched or recently introduced your product(s) and ready to grow
- Tech or tech-enabled business models
- Driven by a mission to create sustainable impact
- Ready to join us in person in Nairobi for 4 weeks out of the 8 weeks
Benefits
Sector Specific Mentorship
Get tailored support from sustainability and growth experts who’ve scaled startups across emerging markets
Local and Global Networking
You’ll build valuable connections with local ecosystem partners across government, corporate entities, and venture capital to support the growth of your product and customer base.
Global South Community
Join a supportive group of founders who share your drive to build for impact. From the retreat to weekly gatherings, the program fosters connection, collaboration, and peer learning.
Program Details
Pre-Program
Application Process
The priority application deadline is August 29 and the final deadline to apply is September 15. The team reviews all applications and will respond with a decision prior to launching in October.
WEEKs 1-2
Founders’ Retreat + Foundations of Growth
Foundational programming to cover growth marketing hacks, developing ideal customer profiles, creating an effective one-liner, and more.
Weeks 3-4
Growth and Scaling
Founders will work on scaling their businesses, refine their tech solutions, and engage in weekly 1:1 mentor sessions.
Weeks 5-7
Acceleration Deep Dive
Hybrid weeks focused on events in person, and mentoring virtually, to help startups accelerate their sales and experiments.
Week 8
Showcase Prep and Event
At the end of the program, startups will have the opportunity to present their innovations during a final event, showcasing the results of their learnings and growth throughout the program.
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