Open Startup Launches $50,000 Pre-seed Accelerator Program, Calls For Applications

Open Startup (OST) has announced a call for applications for its prestigious OST Program, aimed at nurturing the African startup ecosystem. In partnership with Columbia Engineering and Columbia Business School, the program targets early-stage startups and talented entrepreneurs from Tunisia, Senegal, and Morocco.

The OST Program will select 30 startups (10 from each country) to participate in an 18-week intensive hybrid program, running from September 2024 to January 2025. The goal is to help these startups evolve from proof of concept to minimum viable product (MVP).

Finalists will receive a share of $50,000 in zero-equity funding to accelerate their growth. Additionally, the program offers personalized training and mentoring from industry experts, support from Columbia Business School MBA students, and access to a vast international network. Participants will also benefit from trips to New York, Tunisia, and Morocco, providing valuable exposure and networking opportunities.

Early-stage startups with proof of concept and individuals with soft and technical skills are invited to apply on the linked websites. Applications will close on July 21, 2024. For more details about the program and to access additional information, please click this link.

“The OST Program connected us with experts, speeding up our market understanding and product fit. The mentorship offered and the global networking accelerated our growth and opened doors to international collaboration,” says alumni Riadh Hamama, CEO & Founder of LoxBox Services.

The OST Program continues OST’s drive to accelerate Africa’s tech innovators. It follows our MOU with French public investment bank BPI France aimed at bridging African innovation with the French tech ecosystem and our successful 2024 Global Immersion Week (GIW) held in Morocco in May where OST signed MOUs with key Moroccan entities, including Technopark Maroc and UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.

Through the OST Program, GIW and the MOU, OST outlines its commitment to offering a range of inclusive programs that accelerate entrepreneurial development and accelerate the growth of African startups and ecosystems.