Sponsoring Agency: Luvent Consulting
Type of Fund: Accelerator, Incubation, Mentorship and/or Training
Deadline Available: Available
Deadline Date (mm/dd/yyyy): 05/09/2021
Size of the Fund: Not Available
Smart Cities Innovation Programme (SCIP) is a 6-month accelerator aimed at supporting high-potential tech start-ups from Rwanda and other African countries operating in the field of Smart Mobility, Smart Housing and Fintech for Affordability.
The 30 selected start-ups will benefit from individual mentoring, training as well as intensive networking and matchmaking with international business partners and investors. SCIP is implemented in partnership with various partners — Volkswagen, Siemens, and the African Business Angels Network (ABAN) among others — to bring in highly specialised technical expertise and to build the start-ups’ networks. Start-ups will also be able to use Green City Kigali, Rwanda’s flagship smart city project, as a real application case to test their solutions and enter the Rwandan market.
SCIP is a remote programme with events (bootcamp and demo days) happening in Rwanda in September, depending on the Covid situation.
Participating to SCIP is entirely free, including the potential travels to Rwanda. The porgramme is entirely funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Why apply to SCIP?
• Access a network of international partners: Start-ups will be linked to international business partners, public institutions and investors.
• Get support from dedicated mentors: Start-ups will be advised by a sector specific mentor and business development mentor.
• Receive training tailored to your needs: Start-ups will receive trainings based on their identified needs, not a predefined curriculum.
• Learn from peers in your sector: Start-ups will exchange with their cohort peers in the mobility, housing or fintech sector.
Eligibility Criteria
SCIP aims at accelerating start-ups which have:
• Operations in Africa: The start-up is operating in one or more African country. Start-ups from Rwanda are preferred at equal qualification.
• Innovative Smart Cities Solutions: The start-up provides an innovative technology-powered product or service and/or an innovative business model in the field of Smart Mobility, Smart Housing and Fintech for affordability.
• Launched their product or service on the market and have customers.
• Growth & job creation potential: The start-up has potential to expand its operations and meet a significant market demand. Through growth the start-up has potential to create jobs and other sources of reliable income through its business model and/or connection to value chains.
• Social & environmental impact: The start-up has potential to have a positive effect on the environment and/or society.
• Strong & motivated team: The team has a solid background to grow the business and demonstrated motivation to join the programme. Start-ups with female members in management are preferred at equal qualification.
Selection Process
• Start-ups interested in the programme must first complete the application form where they answer questions regarding their venture and their management team. The form takes between 30 and 60 minutes to complete.
• After this first round, the selection team will shortlist start-ups based on the eligibility and strength of their application. These start-ups will be asked to:
o Provide additional information such as their pitch deck, CVs of founders, business plan, and so on.
o Participate in a 30-minute interview with the relevant head of track (Smart Mobility, Smart Housing, or Fintech for Affordability).
• Only 30 start-ups will be selected at the end of the process – 10 start-ups per track. All the communications will happen via email.
More information at: https://www.scipafrica.com/
