Africa’s leading Telecommunications Company, Telecel Group, has rolled out its flagship social accelerator and investment program, the Africa Start-up Initiative Program (ASIP) powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech in Ghana.
The ASIP/SBC/AfriTech scouting team has been in Accra and scouting for prospective start-ups for enrolment in the program after holding similar events in Abidjan, Lagos, Kampala, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi.
“We usually encourage start-ups to attend the country FastTrack events to enable them to get real time feedback from our panel of experts. From our experience, about 20 percent of start-ups that attend the events usually make it to the final round. It is a fantastic opportunity to network with our investment team and get more information about the program”, said Henry Ojuor, the Director of the Accelerator Program.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Digital Centre, Kwadwo Baah Agyeman in a statement said “The Ghana Digital Centre (GDCL) is excited to host the Fasttrack event. It comes at a time when GDCL is intensifying collaborations with key stakeholders to identify and create opportunities that accelerate the growth of digital start-ups in line with its objective of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the provision of platforms for business incubation, business acceleration, digital research, and development programs”.
The Executive Deputy for Telecel Group and Director of ASIP, Eleanor Azar, also in a statement said: “The potential we see in Ghana is exponential and we look forward to welcoming more Ghanaian Start-ups to ASIP. The support of the Accra Digital Center to pursue our goals in Ghana and launch the ASIP Initiative has been instrumental, and we look forward to more events like this”.
The cohort include businesses disrupting key industry verticals that include FinTech, InsureTech, AgriTech, Climate-tech, eCommerce, Digital Health, CleanTech, Mobility, Micro-leasing, and digitizing the informal economy.
Founded by Telecel Group CEO, Moh Damush, the Telecel Group ASIP is designed to develop new businesses across the continent by working with start-ups and early-stage companies to define their business strategy and secure funding. With the support of leading pan-African tech accelerator, Startuobootcam AfriTech, the program has since 2021 empowered 21 businesses with a combined valuation of over USD 80 million.
ASIP Director , ASIP was founded in 2018 by Telecel Group CEO Moh Damush, and it was shortly after, officially launched during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in the presence of African ICT ministers, United nation representatives, investors, and entrepreneurs in the IT and telecommunication fields. Since ASIP has sponsored and invested in an array of startups from all over the African continent.
The Telecel brand is deeply rooted in the African continent and culture, it is the very first brand to bring telecom services to Africa, and this is why there is an affinity between the brand and the African people.
Telecel Group has four pillars of business
Telecel Mobile operates and manages several mobile operators under the same brand throughout Africa and Europe with the new aim to transform mobile operators on the African continent and digitize subscribers with innovative services
Telecel Global services, the B2B arm of the Group, is present in 28+ countries worldwide and provides services to 250+ Telecom Operators and service providers who use our hubs in New York, London, and South Africa. it is currently diversifying its portfolio of businesses by creating a pan-African data center service provider and East-to-West African Fibre infrastructure.
Telecel Play, is a platform with an African identity to develop a four-dimensional application that will disrupt and transform the way people do retail. Telecel Play aims to transcend e-commerce as it exists today.
And the fourth pillar came along when ASIP was created, Africa Startup initiative program was created to give back to the communities in which Telecel Group operates. Driven by Telecel Group values and the belief that all its entities will do better in thriving environments and communities, Telecel is developing social programs to help them; while maintaining its policy for its mobile network operators to continue being an opportunity creator in terms of direct and indirect jobs in their respective countries and developing a profound respect to the environment and contribute in all ways possible to a greener lifestyle.
I want to acknowledge and thank our key tech partners including La DER in Senegal, FMO, AWS, Google, Microsoft, VC4A, Cloudworks, Enrich, inner city, and many more corporates in banking, finance, and many other related sectors.
With your help, ASIP aims to support the next generation of early-stage African tech startups disrupting key industry verticals that include FinTech, InsureTech, AgriTech, eCommerce, Digital Health, and CleanTech. Telecel will provide the participating startups with access to markets through their mobile services across the continent and we look forward as we progress to signing proof of concepts and commercial agreements.