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Spring/Summer 2024
You know how frustrating it is to hear about a funding opportunity the night it closes? We do too so we’ve curated the best opportunities out there. Check back for up-to-date information on available opportunities.
Know Your Numbers Before You Apply
Even when it’s equity free, every investor or even grant provider wants to know you have what it takes to succeed. You will surely be asked for your unit economics and be judged on how you communicate your ambition. Our resources and financial modelling tools are the easiest and most affordable solution for founders to know your numbers and confidently communicate with investors.
Build the Company from Scratch
D-Prize
- Prize: US$20,000
- Demographic: First-time entrepreneurs
- Deadline: 23 June 2024 (Early) and 14 July 2024 (Regular)
- Details:
- They encourage entrepreneurs from low– and middle–income countries to apply.
- The support is to launch a scalable organisation with great social impact.
- They seed for-profit ventures, NGOs and charities focusing on the challenges they provide. Each category—listed below—has a number of challenges within them, and you can also propose your own challenge with your solution.
- Health
- Water
- Agriculture
- Livelihoods
- Energy
- Public Services
- Education
The Momentum $1,000,000 Challenge
- Prize: Minimum US$1,000,000 and significant equity stake
- Demographic: Anyone with a story, skills and ambitions without a company
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- In addition to funding, you will have a chance to work with and learn from a skilled team of serial entrepreneurs
- This challenge will give you the opportunity to be the leader of the next Momentum Startup.
- It is not essential that you have a well-formulated business idea or plan.
Founders, Inc. Studio
- Demographic: Aspiring tech startup founders
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You (and your co-founder if applicable) will get 70% of the company.
- You can apply as a founder or an engineer. You have to be based in San Francisco.
- You will have support in all of the areas you can think of to make a startup possible: design, marketing, product, fundraising, engineering…
Greylock Edge Company-Building Programme
- Prize: 3-month programme with funding tailored to your needs
- Demographic: Pre-idea, pre-seed, and seed founders
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- In addition to funding and guidance, you will have access to US$500,000+ credits with tech giants like AWS, Google, and Microsoft.
- Greylock has acquired an expertise over decades of guiding founders from inception to IPO.
- This is not a start-up accelerator or incubator, but an individualised support.
- Applications are on a continuous rolling basis.
HUB71 Company-Building Programme
- Prize: 12-month programme with up to AED 250,000 funding for equity
- Demographic: Pre-seed to Series A startups with at least 1 founder willing to move to Abu Dhabi
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- In addition to the funding for equity you will receive AED 250,000 in in-kind incentives, and will be eligible to receive up to AED 250,000 cash incentive for further additional equity.
- In addition to the funding, you will attain office space, marketing, technical, and financial support, and upskilling.
- HUB71 will provide housing, health insurance, and licensing & visa support for founder(s) relocating to Abu Dhabi.
Funds and Accelerators from the Same Company
Techstars
Locations: USA, Germany, UK, France, Nigeria, Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Remote
- Each accelerator is a 3-month programme.
- Most of the applications are due on May 22, 2024. There are some accelerators that are not accepting applications yet.
- Accelerators can be industry-inclusive and expansive, as well as industry-specific. For example, there are accelerators for EnergyTech-, FinTech-, or E-commerce-, or Food-focused accelerator programmes.
- For all accelerator programmes, there is up to US$120,000 investment available. US$20,000 upfront for 6% equity, and an optional US$100,000 convertible note.
Antler Residency
Locations: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iberia, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK, Brazil, Canada, USA, Kenya, UAE, Saudi Arabia
- You can join as an individual or a team in the beginning of your startup journey—before the company is founded or even pre–idea.
- You can scale an existing company if you are seeking additional funding and support.
Flat6Labs
Locations: Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Bahrain, Jordan, UAE, KSA
- In each location, there are various funds and/or accelerators to join.
- Each fund or accelerator will be for 10-20% equity in the company.
LaStartup Station
Locations: Based in Morocco, accepting applications from all African countries
- They have programmes for every stage of your start-up from ideation to scale-up.
- They prefer 2–3 co-founders with a multidisciplinary team.
- The startup must have an innovative B2B solution using disruptive technology.
- You can attain various types of funding from grants to honour loans to angel investment.
- You will have access to a work space in their offices which will enable you to have access to vast networking opportunities and coaching from their team.
BRINC
Locations: Various
- BRINC has various accelerator programmes curated for specific industries including, but not limited to AI, Agrifood, ClimateTech, Gaming, and Health Innovation.
- Depending on the programme, you will get investments up to US$100,000 – US$150,000 – US$200,000, or it will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
- The programmes can be fully virtual and open to all startups regardless of location, or specific to a region.
Plug and Play Accelerator
Locations: Based in Silicon Valley, 50+ locations all around the world
- Plug and Play runs various equity-free accelerators in FinTech, Energy, AgriTech, Aerospace, InsurTech, and many more.
- They have locations all around the world including but not limited to Jakarta, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Abu Dhabi, Madrid, Toronto, and São Paulo.
- They are a stage-agnostic organisation with an in-house venture team and world-class mentors.
Awards, Grants, and Competitions
Fast Break for Small Business
- Prize: $10,000 business grant plus $500 worth of LegalZoom services
- Demographic: U.S.-based businesses with at least three months in operation
- Deadline: 13 September 2024
- Details:
- Funded by LegalZoom, the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G-League, this grant supports small businesses with financial aid and legal services. Startups with less than three months in operation can apply to receive LegalZoom products up to $500.
- Funded by LegalZoom, the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G-League, this grant supports small businesses with financial aid and legal services. Startups with less than three months in operation can apply to receive LegalZoom products up to $500.
Milken-Motsepe Prize in FinTech
- Prize: $2 million in total prizes, including a $1 million Grand Prize
- Demographic: Companies using cutting-edge technologies to expand access to capital and financial services for small businesses in emerging and frontier markets
- Deadline: August 6, 2024
- Details: This prize aims to award companies that demonstrate innovative solutions for financial inclusion. Participants will gain access to networking and pitching opportunities. The grand prize winner will be announced at the Milken Institute’s 2025 Global Conference in Los Angeles. Finalists will receive $100,000 each to further develop their solutions.
IT Arena Startup Competition
- Prize: US$5,000 – 15,000 and awards from partners
- Demographic: Tech startups founded no earlier than 2021
- Deadline: 6 June 2024
- Details:
- The tech conference and the competition will take place in Lviv, Ukraine on September 27–29.
- 100 startups will be chosen for the event. They will receive online mentorship and coaching before the tech conference.
- Chosen startups will be showcasing in the conference, network during the event, and pitch in front of tech experts and investors.
- Defence tech startups fall under a specialised category in the competition, and organisers expect to have more investments in this industry.
Africa’s Business Heroes by Jack Ma Foundation
- Prize: A share of US$1,500,000
- Demographic: Entrepreneurs from Africa
- Deadline: 9 June 2024
- Details:
- Ten business heroes will be selected to compete for their share in the grant funding pool of US$1,500,000.
- During the competition, participants will have exclusive access to training, mentoring, and learning programmes in addition to the community of like-minded African business leaders.
GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competititon
- Prize: US$50,000
- Demographic: 18–35 year-old entrepreneurs from countries which are members of the African Union in a leadership position of a financially sustainable agrifood venture
- Deadline: 10 June 2024
- Details:
- Finalists will be pitching their businesses at the GoGettaz Finals in Africa Food Systems Forum Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. (Flights, accommodation, and visas will be covered.)
- Top contestants will also have the opportunity to apply for the exclusive 6–month GoGettaz Africa Leadership Program.
- Two entrepreneurs—one man, and one woman—will each receive US$50,000 for the most innovative and scalable business ventures.
Startup Battlefield 200
- Prize: Equity free US$100,000
- Demographic: Startups around the world in pre-seed to series A stage with an MVP
- Deadline: 10 June 2024
- Details:
- The pitch competition will take place in-person during TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.
- As a part of the cohort, you will receive weekly trainings on company building, scaling, and more. Additionally, you will also get personalised feedback for your pitching skills.
- You will have a featured spot on the show floor at TechCrunch Disrupt, being able to network throughout the event.
- When you are selected as one of the 20 Finalists to pitch on the Disrupt Stage in front of tier-1 VCs, you will then receive at least 4 rehearsals before the event.
SLINGSHOT 2024
- Prize: S$50,000 – S$200,000
- Demographic: Any startup with an MVP that is younger than 10 years old
- Deadline: 1 July 2024
- Details:
- This is the eighth edition of Asia’s deep tech startup competition. There are five challenge domains in this edition:
- Consumer media, goods and services
- Environment, energy and green technologies
- Health and biomedical
- Manufacturing, trade and connectivity
- Transformative digital technologies
- Top 50 will be sponsored to pitch live at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) on October 28 and 29.
- This is the eighth edition of Asia’s deep tech startup competition. There are five challenge domains in this edition:
Agribusiness Challenge Fund by Mastercard Foundation
- Prize: US$50,000 – 2,500,000 over a 3-year period
- Demographic: Small– or Medium-sized agriculture enterprise
- Deadline: 22 November 2024
- Details:
- The business needs to operate in the 20 focus countries Mastercard Foundation have identified.
- The agribusiness challenge is interested in three categories:
- Primary production
- Processing and aggregation
- Trading and market linkages
- Your business will need to provide a matching contribution of at least 30% of the total project cost.
Pitch@GOV by Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Government Innovation
- Prize: Up to 30,000 AED and a place in the MBRIF Accelerator
- Demographic: People around the UAE with innovation ideas
- Deadline: Not disclosed
- Details:
- There are two challenges this year: “Family values in the internet age,” and “Waste trading platform.” Your innovation should be a solution in these categories.
- You will have the chance to be chosen to pitch your idea in front of a panel of judges to attract investors and scale up the business.
Middle East Venture Fund IV
- Prize: Depends on the company
- Demographic: Early- and growth-stage startups in MENATP in FinTech, SaaS, HeathTech, EdTech, Logistics, E-commerce, On-demand services, Marketplaces, and Web3
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- They target to hit US$150,000,000 across startups.
- There is no information on when the applications will be closed.
Oasis500
- Prize: Up to US$100,000 for equity
- Demographic: Seed-stage Tech and Tech-enabled startups to setup in Jordan, then scale abroad
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will gain access to their coaching, mentorships, and networking opportunities, including their Angel Investor and Venture Capitalist Events.
- You may be eligible for follow-up funding up to US$350,000.
Capifly
- Prize: Up to US$1,500,000
- Demographic: Software startups in MENA
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- Fast access to Shariah-compliant non-dilutive investment for 1/3 of Annual Recurring Revenue.
- You will have the final result of your application in 3 weeks.
Draper Richard Kaplan Foundation
- Prize: Up to US$300,000 unrestricted capital over 3 years
- Demographic: Rigorous requirement and pre-qualifications outlined below
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- In addition to funding, you will also receive on-going support through joining the board of directors for the 3 years of funding.
- They are looking for independent nonprofit, and impact first, mission-driven for-profit entities that are tackling a crucial social or environmental issue.
- Organisations must be operating in Africa, Europe, India, Latin America, or the United States.
- Organisations must be in the post-pilot but pre-scale stage.
- Applications are on a rolling basis throughout the year.
The Catalyst Fund
- Prize: US$100,000 in cash + US$100,000 in venture building + Up to US$175,000 in perks
- Demographic: Pre-seed fintech and climate resilience startups in Africa
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will gain access to the network of 100+ investors, as well as the alumni network
- There will be dedicated PR and media support coupled with access to data on customers and insights.
- Your leadership must be gender-balanced and you must have local (co-)founders.
- Your product must be in the market, and attracting some customers.
Founder’s Factory Africa
- Prize: US$250,000 equity investment + US$150,000 in non-dilutive funds
- Demographic: Early-stage startups in Africa solving real life issues
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will receive expert support in business strategy, user experience, fundraising, and more.
- You will have access to premium tools, and offers from top providers including AWS, as well as a network of angel, venture, and corporate investors.
- A desk space in FFA’s Johannesburg offices will be available to you.
Gray Matters Capital coLABS
- Prize: Up to US$250,000 revenue-share investment over 5 years
- Demographic: Early-stage, widely scalable, and innovative startups tackling issues that disproportionately affect women
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- In addition to the investment, you will also receive strategic and technical support.
- At the end of the 5 year agreement, you might be eligible for follow-on investments for further growth and development.
- Applications are on a rolling basis.
America’s Seed Fund
- Prize: Up to US$2,000,000 equity-free investment in 36 months
- Demographic: US-based small businesses that can solve a problem or revolutionise the industry, and need research and development funding for your product or service
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will also receive guidance from National Science Foundation (NSF) programme directors 6–12 months.
- The project must have the potential to positively benefit society and to lead to significant outcomes in the commercial market. All funded work must also be done in the United States.
- Most of the startups that have been funded have fewer than ten employees, are recently formed and haven’t received funding from the US government before.
- Every proposal regardless of success receives actionable feedback.
Growth Impact Fund
- Prize: £50,000 – £1,500,000 investment
- Demographic: Early-stage, growing startups tackling inequity in the UK
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- Up to £15,000 before grant funding and a dedicated portfolio manager who will continue to work with you during funding.
- Up to £20,000 additional funding to help the growth of the organisation.
- You will gain access to a professional network, alumni of the fund, and opportunities.
- Investments vary in types (equity, revenue share and patient debt) and amount depending on the type of investment.
- You must be committed to improving your team’s diversity.
Accelerator and Incubator Programmes
Sandbox Accelerator
- Duration: 5 months
- Demographic: Pre-seed to Seed stage tech startups
- Deadline: 28 July 2024
- Details:
- Dubai’s only VC-backed startup investment programme will support you with $150,000 if you are accepted to Phase 2 of the accelerator.
- You will have access to $1M in-kind credits from their partners, including intel, AWS, Notion, IBM, GoDaddy and more.
- Sandbox is structured around 9 pillars: Product Development, Traction, Scaling, Financial Diagnostics, Wellness+, Legal Support, Commercial Viability, Investor Relations, and Growth Marketing.
Launch Accelerator
- Duration: 15 weeks
- Demographic: Pre-series A startups with some traction
- Deadline: Not disclosed, next cohort is Spring/Summer 2024
- Details:
- You will be working to achieve product-market fit in the best ways possible, as well as sharpening up your fundraising skills while meeting over 300 investors.
- In addition to the accelerator, you will get a cash investment of US$125,000 for 7% of the startup.
- The accelerator ends with a Public Demo Day.
- Top startups have the opportunity to syndicate the deal for an additional US$250,000 – 500,000 or more!
500 Global Flagship Accelerator Programme
- Duration: 4 months
- Demographic: Tech startups around the world
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- In addition to the programme with expert mentorship, advice, and hands-on support, you will also acquire an investment of US$150,000 for 6% equity stake.
- You will have the opportunity to secure an additional US$500,000 investment.
- The accelerator takes place in their HQ in Palo Alto, California.
The First Check Fellowship by Founders, Inc.
- Demographic: Builders in emerging tech
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- If you are willing to relocate to San Francisco, you will get an investment up to US$150,000 for 5–10% equity stake.
- You will have access to the vast network of emerging tech builders within Founders, Inc. and have office hours with experienced founders.
- They are looking for builders in these specific markets:
- AI/ML
- AR/VR
- Web3
- Robotics
- Dev tools
AI2 Incubator
- Duration: Tailored for you
- Demographic: AI-first startups from ideation and beyond
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will receive an upfront pre-seed investment of US$150,000 (team) or US$50,000 (solo founder). As the team proves their potential, the investment will total to US$500,000.
- In addition to the investment, you will have access to AI Compute for up to US$1M, as well as support from the team on product design, customer outreach, tech and many more.
- You will have access to their network of VCs when you are ready to pitch your company for seed investment.
The Batchery Deep Dive
- Duration: 12 weeks
- Demographic: Early-stage startups with some traction
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- Every week you will have 5+ hours of online classes, sharpening up your pitching skills, learning about specific topics, and attending roundtable discussions.
- During the programme, you will have access to 1:1 coaching sessions, as well as roundtable discussions with VCs.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) Accelerator
- Duration: Tailored for you
- Demographic: Startups with a developed product or service in the UAE or interested in branching to the UAE
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- The programme is backed by the federal government of the UAE and will support you in your most pressing needs.
- There is no cost or equity investment included in the programme.
- The accelerator prioritises tech, education, clean energy, water, transport, health and space.
S3 Incubator
- Duration: 6 months
- Demographic: Any stage of the startup from ideation to global expansion starting or scaling up in Sharjah
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- Equity-free and custom-built programme
- Access to advanced masterclasses, 1:1 mentorship, experts, workspace, networking, marketing and many more
- Applications are open and considered on a rolling basis.
Ahli Fintech Seed Acceleration
- Duration: 6 months
- Demographic: Fintech companies established in Jordan or interested in branching in Jordan
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- Ahli Fintech will invest up to US$200,000 and charge US$30,000 for participation in the programme.
- You will have access to their global network, 1000+ Ahli Bank mentors, and their workspace in Jordan.
- They enable you to pilot test your solutions with real customers from Ahli Bank in all jurisdictions.
- Their portfolio has companies established in Jordan, KSA, UAE, and Tajikistan.
AB Xelerate
- Duration: 3–6months
- Demographic: Fintech-focused startups eager to implement their solutions within the Arab Bank
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- The accelerator’s aim is to work with your startup to deliver a successful proof-of-concept (POC) which can enable your startup for a pilot agreement with the Arab Bank. This agreement will not only put your solution in the market, but also result in an investment from Arab Bank.
- You will have access to workspaces across Arab Bank PLC, and will be integrated with Arab Bank through Open Banking Developer Portal.
- Applications are open all-year round and investigated on a case by case basis.
Baobab Network Africa Accelerator
- Duration: 3.5 months
- Demographic: Tech-oriented and for-profit startups with a minimum viable product (MVP) and early traction
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- US$100,000 equity investment
- Two weeks of intensive consulting from The Baobab Network followed by 3 months of hands-on venture support and lifetime access to The Baobab Network
- The startup needs to have a presence in Africa, run and led by an African team, but does not need to be incorporated in Africa.
- There is no deadline to apply, however there are different cohort timings.
Gen F by Founders Factory Africa
- Duration: 12 weeks
- Demographic: Founders in the ideation or pre-revenue stage for their startups in Africa
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will receive a competitive one-off budget to run market validation experiments and support from experts to refine your idea.
- At the end, you will pitch your idea to the Investment Committee. Upon approval from the Investment Committee, you will receive up to US$250,000 investment and tailored support from FFA’s team to launch the startup.
- Applications are always open and on a rolling basis.
PlanX Accelerator
- Duration: 6 months
- Demographic: Mid-stage tech startups in Pakistan
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- This equity-free programme is tailored to your needs with dedicated mentorship, training, and networking opportunities.
- They will support your startup with marketing, business development, legal aid and much more.
Pre-Accelerator Programme by Startup Wise Guys
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Demographic: Startups with a working draft of their minimum viable product (MVP) and at least 2 co-founders or team members
- Deadline: N/A
- Details:
- You will receive expert mentoring and Peer2Peer meeting sessions during the accelerator.
- You will have access to a network of 350+ mentors, 200+ investors and collaborate with founders from 15–20 different countries.
- Applications are on a first-come first-serve basis.
Know Your Numbers Before You Apply
Even when it’s equity free, every investor or even grant provider wants to know you have what it takes to succeed. You will surely be asked for your unit economics and be judged on how you communicate your ambition. Our resources and financial modelling tools are the easiest and most affordable solution for founders to know your numbers and confidently communicate with investors.
