Jasiri Growth Accelerator

Jasiri GrowthAccelerator

We back proven ventures from Kenya and Rwanda solving problems and delivering valuable goods and services to unserved or underserved markets. We provide intelligent capital, operational support, and access to a wider ecosystem, helping ventures accelerate toward growth and impact.

This support is delivered through an appointed Accelerator Implementation Partner, who works closely with the venture's founding team Capital provision, investment governance, and disbursement decisions remain with Jasiri Capital, which provides funding directly to ventures as they progress toward their agreed growth milestones.

The type, level and timing of support provided to each venture is informed by its initial venture assessment, due diligence findings, and the co-created Development Plan.

How we supportVentures

The Jasiri Growth Accelerator partners with founders to co-create a customized Development Plan, one that addresses the specific challenges and milestones that will move the needle most on business growth and investment readiness.

Behind every plan stands a dedicated team: venture builders, technical experts, financial analysts, coaches and investment readiness experts, working alongside founders as they navigate the next stage of growth.

Funding

Amount & Allocation

Each venture receives USD 75,000, allocated to address its financial (direct funding) and non-financial (indirect funding) needs. During the development planning process, founders and their assigned Venture Builder jointly determine how this total is split between direct funding and non-financial support, with the investment instrument structured to reflect that agreement. Disbursement amounts, conditions precedent, and related parameters remain at Jasiri Growth Accelerator’s discretion.

Direct funding: Funds that flow straight to the venture, covering working capital for day-to-day operations and strategic capital expenditure for assets that unlock growth milestones.

Indirect funding: Funds that cover external expertise the venture needs but may not be able to access on its own, such as legal, or specialised technical support, commissioned jointly by the Accelerator team and founders to help clear a specific growth milestone.

Investment Instrument: Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE)

Jasiri Growth Accelerator invests through a SAFE, a Y Combinator-originated investment agreement that gives the investor the right to future equity without fixing a venture’s valuation at the time of investment. Valuation is instead determined when a predetermined trigger, or future conversion event occurs (e.g. equity investment round, initial public offering or acquisition).

Investment timing

Direct funding is disbursed upon signing of the Program Agreement and SAFE and finalisation of the development plans and growth milestones, with the timing and conditions of any subsequent disbursements or drawdowns agreed in advance. Non-financial support is paid directly to the relevant service provider, in line with the agreements founders have entered into with that provider.

Technical Expertise

Mentorship and coaching
Investment readiness support
Financial reporting and accounting support
Market validation
Legal and administrative support
Bespoke business masterclasses and individual coaching

Ecosystem Access

Networking opportunities
Introductions to potential partners
Office space if required, plus support identifying and selecting service providers

Ventures we areLooking for

To be accepted into the Jasiri Growth Accelerator, ventures must demonstrate:

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A large potential market, with a clear runway to grow well beyond current reach.
Evidence of addressing non-consumption by making goods or services accessible or affordable to people who previously lacked them.
An existing user base, proving early traction and demand.
A revenue history of at least 24 months.
Consistent growth in revenue or user acquisition over that same period, showing a credible trajectory.
Full legal standing: proof of registration, tax compliance and relevant sector-specific operating licenses in country of operation.

SelectionProcess

The Jasiri Growth Accelerator follows a structured, multi-stage selection process designed to identify ventures with the strongest growth and investment potential, from initial application through to final funding disbursement.

Step 1: Venture Application

Ventures complete and submit the Jasiri Growth Accelerator application via the Accelerator App. The application requirements include:

Company Introduction & Contact Details
The Organization
Business Model & Product
Regulatory and Governance
Evidence of non-consumption
Traction, Growth Trajectory & Impact
Jasiri Growth Accelerator Program Support Alignment

Note: Completed applications are submitted via the Accelerator App. See the application FAQs here.

Step 2: Venture Shortlisting (rolling basis)

A panel reviews, evaluates, and shortlists ventures. Shortlisted ventures are contacted to schedule their assessment panel.

Step 3: Supplementary Information Request

Shortlisted ventures will be requested to submit supplementary information and will be given 5 days from the notification email to submit the required documentation ahead of their assessment panel interviews.

Step 4: Assessment Panels & Provisional Selection

Shortlisted ventures are invited to an assessment panel, consisting of a 45-minute pitch and Q&A with panelists from the Jasiri Growth Accelerator. Successful ventures are invited to proceed to the pre-due diligence stage of the selection process.

Step 5: Pre-Due Diligence

The pre-due diligence process involves the following key activities:

On-site verification: Observing the venture's workspace and operations firsthand to confirm that the data and information provided align with the reality on the ground.
Financial review: Review of financial statements, revenue and cost drivers, cash position, and overall financial health.
Product and Operations Demonstration: Live demo of the product or technology, along with real performance data.
Founder and Team Engagement: Understanding the founding team's vision, dynamics, governance structure, and go-to-market approach.
Risk and Impact Assessment: Discussing key risks facing the business and the impact it aims to create.

Step 6: Due Diligence

A due diligence partner is engaged to conduct an independent, evidence-based assessment of the venture across six key domains:

Organization: Leadership quality, governance structures, team composition, and organizational resilience.
Market: Customer validation, competitive positioning, market sizing, and go-to-market strategy.
Environment: Regulatory compliance, legal standing, intellectual property, and the broader technology and ecosystem landscape.
Product: Evidence of product-market fit, innovation and differentiation, pricing strategy, and scalability.
Business Model: Value proposition, unit economics, financial management, revenue streams, and path to profitability.
Impact: Impact potential, measurement framework, theory of change, and long-term sustainability.

Step 7: Investment Committee

Ventures present to the Investment Committee ahead of the final selection decision: a 15-minute pitch, followed by 45 minutes of panel Q&A.

Step 8: Final Decision & Jasiri Growth Accelerator Acceptance

Decisions are communicated to all ventures that reached the Investment Committee stage.

Selected ventures receive the Program Agreement and funding agreement (Simple Agreement for Future Equity — SAFE).
Unsuccessful ventures are notified by email and remain eligible to reapply in future cohorts.

Step 9: Onboarding & Funds Disbursement

At this stage, the venture is matched with an Accelerator Implementation Partner, who works alongside the founding team to develop growth milestones, required to unlock the first disbursement.

The Implementation Partner's support spans five key areas:

Venture Building Support: A dedicated lead venture builder works directly with the founding team through regular check-ins, resolving operational bottlenecks in real time, diagnosing emerging needs, and providing ongoing strategic and operational guidance.
Financial Analysis: A dedicated financial analyst conducts monthly financial and impact performance reviews, builds unit economics models, and generates insights that inform both the venture's strategy and investor reporting.
Targeted Expert Advisory: On-demand specialists are brought in for scoped, time-bound engagements around specific challenges such as logistics, technology, finance, or regulatory areas, working directly with the venture's leadership to deliver practical solutions.
Investment Readiness: Structured support to prepare the venture for capital raising, including data room development, investor narratives, financial modeling, and investor outreach.
Capability Building: Bespoke workshops, coaching, and mentoring designed to strengthen the venture team's own skills and readiness over time.

Accelerator programStructure

The Jasiri Growth Accelerator runs over 12 months of acceleration, structured around two complementary pillars: bespoke programmatic interventions to drive growth, and dedicated support to build funding readiness and investor exposure.

Bespoke Programmatic Interventions

Targeted Strategic Intervention Support: Ventures receive structured bespoke support, aimed at driving progress on the specific milestones identified in their development plans.
Venture Building Support: Ventures meet regularly with their appointed Venture Builder and Accelerator Implementation Partner to receive strategic guidance on implementing development plan initiatives and managing support from service providers where relevant.
Development Plan Ratification: Development plans are reviewed and ratified on an ongoing 6-weekly basis, or as otherwise needed, as the venture builds traction.
Progress Tracking: Ventures submit monthly reports covering key operational updates, service providers' delivery and progress against agreed financial, operational and impact milestones.
Advisory Support and Guidance: Ventures meet quarterly with the Jasiri Growth Accelerator team and Accelerator Implementation Partner to review performance.

Funding Readiness Support & Investor Exposure

Strategy Intervention: Identifying immediate expansion opportunities, evaluating available funding sources, and mapping prospective investors.
Financial Modeling: Building a three-year financial forecast model.
Valuation: Developing a business valuation (e.g. Discounted Cash Flow).
Data Room Preparation: Structuring an accurate, investor-ready data room.
Pitch Deck Preparation: Refining the pitch decks to include the critical information investors expect, paired with coaching on pitch delivery (confidence, clarity on the business, and handling investor questions).
Investor Introductions: Introducing founders to investors whose mandates align with their ventures.
Investor Roundtable: Engaging with a curated group of mandate-fit investors.

Jasiri Growth Accelerator

Applications are open from September 15, 2026 and will close on October 8, 2026.

Apply now

Frequently AskedQuestions

How is the Jasiri Growth Accelerator (Jasiri Growth Accelerator) different from other Accelerators?

The Jasiri Growth Accelerator stands apart in three ways. First, our investment lens is sector-agnostic but sharply focused on ventures that are targeting a large unserved or underserved market in Rwanda or Kenya. Second, its objective is to de-risk ventures and get them investment-ready for future investors. Third, the Jasiri Growth Accelerator offers bespoke support tailored to each venture’s specific needs, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Which types of ventures can apply?

The Jasiri Growth Accelerator is industry-agnostic, seeking fast-growing, post-revenue, early-stage ventures tackling problems for large, unserved, or underserved markets.

How does the Jasiri Growth Accelerator choose the ventures it works with?

Stage: Early-stage ventures.

Traction: Fast growth and at least 24 months of consistent revenue performance.

Focus: Products or services built for large, unserved, or underserved markets that currently lack access to an effective solution.

Bookkeeping & Compliance: Evidence of company registration, tax compliance, and an established bookkeeping system with up-to-date financial records.

Can a pre-revenue venture apply?

Jasiri Growth Accelerator is built for post-revenue startups. That said, ventures that can demonstrate significant user or customer growth over the past 24 months are encouraged to apply.

Where is the Jasiri Growth Accelerator located? Do selected ventures need to be based in a specific location?

Jasiri Growth Accelerator acceleration is delivered primarily virtually, with tailored support wherever the venture is based. Founders are not required to relocate, the JGA works with them on their business at their location within Kenya or Rwanda, and online.

How much does the Jasiri Growth Accelerator invest?

The Jasiri Growth Accelerator invests $75,000 per venture, via a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE). This amount is split between direct funding for working capital and indirect funding for tailored strategic advisory support, targeted at agreed growth priorities. Together, direct and indirect funding aim to move ventures toward seed-stage investor readiness.

Is the investment a grant or equity funding?

The investment is not a grant. It is an investment for future equity, delivered through a SAFE.

Does a venture need a co-founder to apply?

Yes. Jasiri Growth Accelerator invests only in ventures run by more than one founder.

Do all co-founders have to be Rwandan or Kenyan?

At least one co-founder must be a citizen and resident of Kenya or Rwanda. Where the local co-founder holds substantial shareholding, the Jasiri Growth Accelerator may accept teams that include co-founders from other countries. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

How is submitted data used?

Submitted data is strictly used for evaluation purposes and kept fully confidential. It may be retained to assess venture's progress should it reapply in future.

What are the application dates?

Applications are open from September 15, 2026 and will close on October 8, 2026.

Can a venture apply if it is currently part of, or has previously completed another accelerator program?

Yes. Ventures that have participated in a previous accelerator can share that information via the application form, which includes a section that requests this. If a venture is currently participating in another accelerator that overlaps with Jasiri Growth Accelerator, it will be asked to explain why it is applying and how it would manage both concurrently.

Will ventures be notified if they have not been shortlisted and when?

Yes. Every venture receives feedback at each stage of the selection process.