Antler Kenya 2024

Are you tired of working for others? Do you want to launch your own startup?

Antler is the day zero investor backing the world’s most driven founders. In Nairobi’s vibrant startup hub, we bring together entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to build companies that move the world forward. We work with individual founders with strong business and technical backgrounds and early-stage startups leveraging tech to tackle deep, relevant, and ambitious problem statements in Africa.

We’re looking for people committed to turning their ambitious ideas into game-changing businesses. We work with founders regardless of background or geography—from experienced business operators to technologists and entrepreneurs. Whether you’ve just started building, but haven’t yet raised capital; you’ve got an idea and are thinking about getting started, but haven’t quite made the leap; or you don’t have an idea but are determined to be an entrepreneur, Antler is the right place for you to bring your idea to life. We accept applications from individuals and teams.

We are looking for

Individuals:

Looking for a co-founder? Start Date: August 2024

Are you an individual ready to start something new, and looking for the right co-founder? Antler brings together an exclusive group of ambitious people to explore ideas together. Meet, learn, and co-create with exceptional builders. Join us to turn your vision into reality.

Teams:

Already have the dream team? Start Date: Rolling Intake

Early-stage teams with an MVP or early customer validation are welcome to apply to Antler for direct investment into their ongoing Pre-Seed or early Seed rounds.

Antler Nairobi works with early stage teams with an MVP or early traction on venture scalability through hands-on working sessions. If you are a team building an early product, or have just launched your MVP, or seeking an additional co-founder, you are welcome to apply. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, and teams receive a decision within 4-6 weeks of engaging with Antler Nairobi. Antler can join your ongoing pre-seed / early seed round with $100-400K tickets at a negotiated valuation.

What to expect once you join Antler in Kenya

While all Antler programs are similar, each location takes a tailored approach to ensure founders have the greatest chance of success. Antler programs in Kenya range from seven to 12 weeks for the venture-building track where founders join the community to build a brand new startup from scratch. We also offer acceleration for early-stage startups.

1. Team formation, ideation, and validation

This stage of the program lasts seven weeks and will consist of elements including:

• Social events and team-building activities to help you identify possible co-founders you like to work with in the community
• Masterclasses and speaker sessions covering highly relevant topics for your startup journey (e.g., unit economics, fundraising best practices, and growth hacking.)
• Team sprints to push your ideation and innovation
• Regular speaker sessions on interesting topics for entrepreneurs
• Weekly touch points with coaching from the Antler team
• VC meetups that will allow you to build relationships and challenge your ideas
• Peer support and regular feedback from your fellow community members

2. Sharpening the proposition

During this 4-5 week stage of the program, you will dedicate your full-time efforts to refine your idea and business model, with strong customer focus and interaction. You will also tighten any “gaps” highlighted through the Committee feedback, sharpen up the details of your business plan, and start preparing for the final Antler Investment Committee (IC). This stage of the program will consist of elements including:

• Weekly coaching sessions with a dedicated coach from the Antler team and support from our venture partners and local network of industry experts
• Legal advisory sessions (with lawyers) to refine your idea and business model in light of regulatory requirements and constraints
• Advice and support in identifying additional team members to fill critical skill gaps in your founding team structure (if required)
• Weekly pitch training sessions with feedback from the Antler team and fellow founders
• Targeted pitch deck reviews, Q&A sessions, and pitch trainings ahead of IC

3. Pitch to Antler’s Investment Committee

Teams deemed ready will pitch to our Investment Committee (IC) comprising partners from the Antler team, external local investors, and Antler global partners. The IC votes on which teams receive an investment.

Application process

The full application process takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once you apply, our scouting team will guide you through the entire process and will be available to answer all your questions. All of our interviews are done online.

Apply on antler.co/apply using your LinkedIn account or CV. If you have an existing startup, submit your pitch deck as well.