Call for Applications: Founders Smith Accelerator Program for early-stage startups in West Africa.
The Founders Smith Accelerator Program (FSAP) is a startup accelerator designed for early-stage startups across West Africa. We help founders sharpen their business model, validate their ideas, facilitate their traction and growth, and secure venture capital through structured execution, hands-on mentorship, and direct access to investors.
This is not a theory-based program, with pure financing. FSAP is built for founders who have the ambition to change the world by scaling their innovative solutions with their passionate founding teams.
- Investor-Ready Execution Framework – A structured, step-by-step program focused on:
- Fundraising strategy
- Investor-ready pitch refinement
- Financial modeling and traction storytelling
- Deal readiness and due diligence preparation
- Personalized Founder Mentorship – One-on-one and small-group sessions with experienced founders, investors, and ecosystem experts who help you:
- Identify growth bottlenecks
- Strengthen unit economics
- Position your startup for the right type of capital
- Founder–Investor Matchmaking – Curated introductions to:
- Angel investors
- Early-stage VCs
- Strategic partners. All aligned with your stage, sector, and growth goals.
- Demo Days That Matter
- Online Demo Day – Pitch to a regional and global investor audience
- Founders Fair (Offline Demo Day) – Live pitches, deal rooms, networking, and partner meetings
- Post-Program Support (3 Months) – We don’t stop at Demo Day. You get continued support to:
- Follow up on investor conversations
- Close deals
- Execute post-fundraise milestones
- Fully Remote Core Program – Participate from anywhere across West Africa while accessing top-tier support.
Who Should Apply
- Early-stage startups
- Revenue-generating startups
- Actively preparing to raise capital
- Led by committed founders ready for structured execution
- Sector-agnostic
- Geographic focus: West Africa countries including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Program Structure & Timeline
- Core Accelerator (Remote): February 6 – March 27
- Online Demo Day: March 30 – 31
- Offline Demo Day (Founders Fair): April 15 – 18 (4 days of live pitching, investor meetings, and deal rooms)
Program Goal: To make your startup investor-ready within 3 months and positioned to close an investment deal shortly after the program.
- 10% success fee on investments successfully closed through the program
- 5% equity stake in participating startups
- Visit the official Founders Smith application page
- Create an account and complete the online application form
- Shortlisted founders will be invited to an introductory call to assess fit and next steps
Application Deadline: January 30
Rolling admissions – early applications are strongly encouraged.