Empowering West Africa’s Next High-Impact Startups
Born from a vision to transform West Africa’s startup landscape, Founders Smith is building a thriving ecosystem where innovative ideas evolve into scalable, investment-ready businesses.
Current cohort kickoff: March 20th, 2026
25+
Portfolio companies
$25M+
Projected Valuations
25+
Industry Experts
50+
Corporate Partners
A Launchpad for Visionary Founders
Founders Smith nurtures and empowers founders with the right resources, guidance, and community they need to build sustainable, high-growth startups that create lasting economic value across the West Africa region and beyond.
The Founders Smith Methodology
From applying to our accelerator to scaling businesses across 54 growing nations in Africa, Founders Smith helps portfolio startups build a robust foundation and clear funding path for innovators with a bespoke mentorship, funding access, and ecosystem support.
Zero to One
Follow success-proven playbooks constructed by experienced founders, investors and industry practitioners.
Industry Expertise
Leverage practical advice from notable mentors and make executions into all stages of your startup lifecycle.
Funding Access
Connect with high-value regional and global investors with the same visions as founding teams, all the way to exits.
Ecosystem Support
Showcase your impactful and innovative solutions to wider audience, clients, partners, potential hires, etc.
Notable Mentors
Charles Emembolu
Innovation Support Network
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Company
Mentor's Name
Company
Mentor's Name
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Partners
Empowering West African startups to scale innovation and drive regional prosperity.
Ready to Accelerate and Scale Across West Africa?
Founders Smith shapes startups from 0 to 1 with customers, and 1 to 100 with venture capitalists.
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