Africa’s innovation landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation, driven by a new wave of startup accelerators and incubators that are fueling the continent’s entrepreneurial spirit. As technology reshapes industries and investment in African startups continues to soar, these hubs have become vital launchpads for founders looking to solve real-world challenges across fintech, healthtech, education, and agriculture. In this article, we explore some of the leading accelerators and incubators empowering startups across Africa in 2025, helping visionary entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into scalable, impactful ventures.
1. The Hive Incubator, Akure, Nigeria
The Hive Incubator is a vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship based in Akure, Nigeria. It empowers entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship, and community needed to transform ideas into thriving businesses. As one of Africa’s emerging startup ecosystems, The Hive stands out for its hands-on, founder-focused approach that fosters innovation and growth at every stage of development.
Through co-working spaces, incubator programs, and curated events, The Hive serves as both a launchpad for founders and a collaborative environment for creators across sectors. Its mission is clear to empower entrepreneurs to build businesses that solve real problems and thrive in fundamental markets.
Program Overview
The Hive runs a quarterly cohort-based program designed to take startups from idea to impact. Each cohort begins with a 6-week learning phase, followed by a 3-month implementation stage, during which founders receive weekly mentorship, progress reviews, and hands-on guidance from business experts.
The program equips founders to:
- Refine their business model and value proposition
- Build or improve their MVP
- Gain early traction and actionable market feedback
- Build confidence for fundraising and investor relations
Funding & Benefits:
Participants receive access to:
- Up to ₦3 million ($2,100) in seed funding
- Business coaching and mentorship from industry experts
- Access to a state-of-the-art tech hub and co-working space
- Market access and investor connections
- Quarterly application cycles for flexible participation
By combining structure, mentorship, and funding, The Hive Incubator is shaping the next generation of African entrepreneurs starting from Akure and scaling across the continent.
2. Co-Creation Hub (CcHub), Lagos, Nigeria
The Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) is Nigeria’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space, pioneering social tech innovation across Africa. With over 100 startups supported and a thriving network of 10,000+ innovators, CcHub has become one of the driving forces behind Nigeria’s booming technology ecosystem.
Located in Yaba, Lagos, often called Nigeria’s Silicon Valley, CcHub serves as a creative playground for developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators. The hub plays a central role in the i-HQ Project, an innovation city that houses more than 30 tech companies. Founders accepted into CcHub programs operate directly from Lagos, ensuring access to mentorship, collaboration, and investor networks.
Program Overview & Funding
Through strong partnerships, CcHub provides access to multiple funding streams and growth opportunities. A notable example is the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, which awards $100,000 in equity-free funding to selected startups. Fellows also gain mentorship, investor connections, and expert guidance on scaling and marketing strategies.
Key Benefits
Entrepreneurs in the CcHub network enjoy access to:
- A vibrant innovation community with peer and mentor support
- Funding and grants from local and global partners
- Workspace and incubation support in Lagos
- Tailored coaching sessions with industry leaders
- Partner credits and investor networking opportunities
To date, CcHub has helped 95+ early-stage ventures create over 450 jobs across Africa.
Beyond Nigeria, CcHub is building a pan-African presence through initiatives such as the Design Lab in Rwanda, data science workshops, and collaborations such as AWS Dev Junction, where over 30 developers explored the use of machine learning for business insights.
3. Injini, Cape Town, South Africa
The Injini Accelerator is Africa’s first incubator and seed investment program dedicated exclusively to education technology (EdTech). Headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, Injini is redefining how technology can bridge the educational gap across Sub-Saharan Africa a region UNESCO identifies as having the world’s highest education exclusion rates.
Since its inception, Injini has supported 79 EdTech startups, reaching 2.8 million learners and teachers across Africa. Through partnerships like the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, it has empowered over 431,000 teachers and introduced learning opportunities to 2.9 million new students in more than 34,000 schools. Injini operates a hybrid model that combines on-site engagement in Cape Town with remote participation across the continent. This dual approach enables founders to remain deeply connected to their local education systems while benefiting from Injini’s expert mentorship, resources, and collaborative network. Injini exclusively supports startups building innovative EdTech solutions that improve access, affordability, and quality of education. Its focus areas include teacher training, accessibility of learning, infrastructure enhancement, and education technology for underserved communities.
Program Overview & Funding
Injini’s flagship acceleration program provides each startup with an initial R100,000 ($5,300) grant, with the potential to access up to R1,000,000 ($53,000) in additional equity-free funding through the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship. Performance-based funding further rewards startups demonstrating measurable growth and social impact. High-performing ventures also qualify for post-acceleration investments of up to R1 million ($53,000) in exchange for equity.
Key Benefits
Startups in the Injini program receive a comprehensive support package valued at over R2.5 million ($132,500), which includes:
- Hands-on mentorship from education and business experts
- Pedagogical evaluation and curriculum support
- Access to global courses at Carnegie Mellon University
- Business training workshops and one-on-one mentorship
- Networking opportunities across the African EdTech ecosystem
4. Google for Startups Accelerator Africa
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa remains one of the continent’s most impactful accelerator programs, offering equity-free support to startups leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to solve Africa’s most pressing challenges. Since its launch in 2018, the initiative has supported over 150 startups across 17 countries, collectively helping them raise more than $300 million in funding and create over 3,500 jobs. The ninth cohort alone attracted close to 1,500 applications for just 15 spots, a testament to the program’s growing influence. The accelerator targets startups using AI to tackle sector-specific challenges in fintech, agritech, healthtech, and professional services. The 2025 Class 9 cohort showcased this diversity from Shamba Records in Kenya, which empowers 50,000+ farmers with smart credit and market access, to Myltura in Nigeria, which offers remote digital health solutions. Other participants include Pastel, which combats fraud and money laundering through AI, and E-doc Online, which automates compliance and credit checks using real-time banking data.
Program Overview
The accelerator runs as a three-month hybrid program designed for early-stage startups (Seed to Series A). It combines virtual and in-person sessions, enabling founders to refine their technology and scale their operations simultaneously.
Funding
Participants receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits and 30 days of free Cloud TPU access through the TPU Research Cloud program. They also gain exclusive access to Google’s global investor network, connecting them with potential follow-on funding partners.
Key Benefits
Startups benefit from tailored mentorship by Google experts, immersive technical bootcamps, and strategic guidance across product development, customer acquisition, and leadership. They also enjoy early access to Google’s newest tools and platforms, as well as connections to a worldwide network of innovators.
The program’s impact is evident through its alumni: Rapid Human AI, based in South Africa, created a design-thinking platform that reduces development time by 80%. At the same time, TOLBI from Senegal uses AI and satellite imagery to predict crop yields with remarkable precision.
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa continues to drive the next wave of AI-powered innovation, positioning African founders at the forefront of global technological transformation.
5. kLab, Rwanda
kLab is one of Rwanda’s most influential innovation hubs, serving as a cornerstone of the country’s growing tech ecosystem. Situated in Kacyiru, Kigali, the hub’s proximity to key government ministries and NGOs fosters strong partnerships among entrepreneurs, policymakers, and development organizations. This strategic placement has made kLab a vital nexus for collaboration among ICT firms, tech-driven NGOs, and public institutions.
kLab’s impact on Rwanda’s technology landscape is profound. Nearly every early-stage tech entrepreneur in Kigali has some connection to the hub. Its influence is amplified by Rwanda’s reputation as one of Africa’s easiest countries to do business in, according to the World Bank.
kLab primarily supports ICT startups, helping founders turn innovative ideas into viable businesses. The hub emphasizes problem-solving that aligns with both local and regional needs, focusing on sectors that drive economic and social growth.
One of its standout initiatives is the Fintech Cluster, which strengthens Rwanda’s position as a financial innovation hub while building technical capacity within the sector. Another is the Digital Epidemiology Design Lab, which explores how technology can help address pressing public health issues a growing need across East Africa.
Currently hosting more than 80 tenant startups, kLab offers hands-on mentorship in both technical and business development, complemented by frequent events such as workshops, hackathons, bootcamps, and networking sessions that encourage collaboration and innovation.
Funding
kLab helps startups become investment-ready through structured programs that combine mentorship and financial literacy training. A key initiative is the StartupWave platform, which connects early-stage founders with funding and advisory opportunities.
Launched in 2015, the StartupWave pilot program selected 15 startups for a seven-stage process offering pre-incubation and incubation support. Participants paid a modest 30,000 Rwandan francs to join, with half refunded upon completion, an approach that fostered accountability while remaining accessible.
Through StartupWave and the Startup Academy, kLab also helps entrepreneurs network with investors and access capital. Regular investor-focused events and demo sessions further strengthen these funding linkages.
Key Benefits
kLab provides more than just a workspace; it offers a complete innovation ecosystem where ideas can grow into successful businesses. Founding member Michel Bézy, who also serves as Associate Director at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, emphasizes the importance of creativity and freedom in innovation:
Entrepreneurs at kLab gain access to seasoned mentors, business training, and a collaborative environment that sparks partnerships and shared growth.
Notable success stories include TorQue, which developed a real-time inventory-tracking app and went on to secure Heineken as a major client, and GIRA ICT. This company makes technology more affordable by partnering with global manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, HP, and Lenovo. GIRA ICT also collaborated with Rwanda’s government on the One Laptop per Child initiative, helping over 100 teachers purchase laptops through affordable payment plans.
kLab continues to empower Rwanda’s next generation of tech entrepreneurs, combining innovation, mentorship, and strategic partnerships to shape the future of technology across the continent.
Conclusion
Africa’s startup scene continues to thrive, powered by a growing network of accelerators and incubators that are shaping the continent’s digital and economic future. From Lagos to Cape Town and Kigali, these innovation hubs are not just nurturing startups; they’re building ecosystems, creating jobs, and driving inclusive growth across sectors. As investment and support for entrepreneurship expand, Africa is positioning itself as a global hub for innovation, where bold ideas meet opportunity, and startups are transforming challenges into groundbreaking solutions.