Something big is happening, and it’s been in the making for months.
At Founders Smith, we’ve always believed that the most transformative companies in West Africa won’t come from Silicon Valley; they’ll come from Accra, Dakar, Enugu, Lomé, and every corner of this region where founders are solving real problems with real urgency.
After a highly competitive selection process and weeks of iteration, product refinement, and execution, we’re proud to introduce the 24 startups selected into the NextShift Accelerator 2026 Cohort 1.0, Founders Smith’s flagship startup acceleration programme.
These startups are tackling some of Africa’s most pressing challenges across healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, fintech, mobility, agriculture, proptech, broadband infrastructure, workforce productivity, media, and sustainability.
Already deep in their journey within the programme, they are building, testing, refining, and scaling solutions designed for real markets and real users.
Today, we are excited to pull back the curtain on the innovators, the builders, and the problem-solvers shaping Africa’s future.
About NextShift Accelerator
NextShift Accelerator is a West Africa-focused acceleration programme by Founders Smith (a startup ecosystem builder), built for one purpose: turning early-stage founders into execution engines and their startups into scalable, sustainable, investment-ready businesses.
We work closely with startups across Nigeria and West Africa, from Benin to Togo and Ghana to Senegal, helping them sharpen their business models, build traction, achieve product-market fit, scale, and raise funding. No fluff. Just pure execution.
It is structured execution: one-on-one mentorship, practical learning, and accountability with experienced founders and investors; hands-on growth support; and direct access to a network of strategic partners aligned with each startup’s stage and sector. And the support doesn’t end at Demo Day; we stay in the trenches with our founders for months after.
If you missed our earlier insights on startup growth and how we support founders, we recommend reading: More Than an Accelerator: How Founders Smith Powers Startup Growth in Africa
Now… Meet the Startups!
- Arellow: Nigeria
A proptech platform that connects buyers with verified realtors, developers, and property owners, featuring integrated title verification for secure transactions. - Arone Technologies: Nigeria
An integrated infrastructure protection platform combining solar power, AI detection, and autonomous drone response for security and emergency systems. - Cver AI: Nigeria
An AI job application assistant that tailors CVs, writes cover letters, applies to roles, and tracks applications in one dashboard. - Cubeseed Africa: Nigeria
A B2B marketplace for bulk protein supply connecting food businesses with livestock farmers using AI matching and escrow systems. - Didactik Media: Nigeria
An AI-powered licensing marketplace enabling Nigerian filmmakers to monetise content using an African cultural discovery taxonomy. - DoQuick: Nigeria
A sports tech platform offering live scores, analytics, and community engagement tools for fans across multiple sports. - FinSquare: Nigeria
Financial infrastructure software for cooperatives, associations, and microfinance institutions across Africa. - FriendnPal: Nigeria
A predictive AI mental health platform detecting emotional distress early via voice, text, and behavioural signals across WhatsApp and mobile. - Fronet: Nigeria
A solar-powered broadband provider delivering managed WiFi infrastructure to student hostels in secondary cities. - Genesis Technologies: Nigeria
Enterprise software solutions for logistics, supply chain, and industrial operations. - GoFresh: Nigeria
A grocery delivery platform connecting users to supermarkets and stores for fast delivery of essentials. - Gumble: Nigeria
A direct-to-consumer infrastructure platform helping restaurants digitise menus and own customer relationships. - Helparr: Nigeria
A super app connecting users with verified artisans, payments, and on-demand delivery services. - Japa: Nigeria
A 3D play-to-earn mobile runner game inspired by African hustle culture. - Kéola: Togo
A sustainable packaging startup producing recyclable kraft bags and eco-friendly food packaging solutions. - Nerture Labs and Skincare: Ghana
An AI-powered manufacturing OS for CPG brands with full traceability, compliance, and production intelligence. - OctoServe: Nigeria
A mobility and logistics infrastructure platform transforming fragmented transport systems into scalable networks. - OFS Consultancy Services: Nigeria
An accounting and advisory firm offering audit, tax, HR, forensic accounting, and business advisory services. - Starrik Technologies: Nigeria
A logistics ecosystem connecting customers, vendors, dispatch riders, and logistics companies. - StreetOps: Nigeria
A workforce intelligence platform helping SMEs build high-performance teams using behavioural analytics. - Trackly: Nigeria
A financial tracking platform that automatically categorises transactions and provides real-time financial visibility. - VivaFemini: Nigeria
A women’s health platform covering menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause with AI and telehealth support. - Way2Go Innovations: Nigeria
A savings and coordination platform helping trade masters manage apprenticeship settlement systems. - Whipcare: Nigeria
A marketplace connecting vehicle owners with verified mechanics for affordable and reliable car maintenance.
The Masterclass Series: What We’ve Been Building
Over the past weeks, our cohort founders have been going deep. Our Masterclass series has brought together experienced founders, ecosystem partners, and investors to work through the hardest parts of building a startup, from refining business models to navigating investor conversations to understanding unit economics and building execution-ready teams.
These aren’t lectures. They’re working sessions designed to move founders from insight to action.
This is what makes NextShift Accelerator different: every session is in service of a specific outcome, getting your startup to a point where the right investor says yes.
And that journey continues beyond the classroom into what comes next for the cohort and the broader ecosystem.
What’s Coming Next
We’re just getting started. Coming up for the cohort and the broader ecosystem:
- Demo Day: where our founders will pitch virtually to a curated room of investors, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders.
- Founders Fair: a four-day Founders Smith West African innovation and investment gathering bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem partners across the region. Designed as a live deal-making and startup discovery space, selected NextShift startups will pitch in a structured, Shark Tank-style format where investors can engage directly, negotiate, and extend real opportunities to the startups they are most interested in. Alongside this, curated startups from across the ecosystem will showcase their products and solutions, creating a shared space for discovery, partnerships, and visibility.
- Post-Programme Support: five months of continued mentorship and deal-closing support for every cohort startup
Follow us on LinkedIn and across our social channels to stay updated on dates and how to be in the room.
A Word Before You Go
24 startups. Sectors spanning health, logistics, fintech, agriculture, real estate, entertainment, sustainability, and more. Countries from Nigeria to Togo to Ghana. Founders tackling problems that matter. This is what Founders Smith is here for: to be the infrastructure behind the builders.
If you’re an investor, partner, or potential customer, now is the time to pay attention. These startups are open for business and ready for collaboration.
To every founder in this cohort, the work you’re doing matters. We’re proud to be building with you.
Follow Founders Smith on LinkedIn for updates on Demo Day, Founders Fair, and future cohorts. To become part of the ecosystem, visit https://founderssmith.com/join-community/
