Smart Cities Innovation Programme

#SCIPAfrica is a 6-month accelerator for startups in Mobility, Housing & Fintech

The Call for Applications for the Smart Cities Innovation Programme is now officially open! If you are a tech startup operating in the field of Mobility, Housing or Fintech, we encourage you to apply to #SCIPAfrica accelerator and contribute to shaping the African Cities of tomorrow!

What is the Smart Cities Innovation Programme (SCIP)?

SCIP aims at supporting 30 high-potential start-ups from Africa divided into 3 tracks: Smart Mobility, Smart Housing and Fintech for Affordability. The start-ups will benefit from individual mentoring, training as well as intensive networking and matchmaking with international business partners and investors, including Volkswagen, Siemens and the African Business Angels Network (ABAN). Startups will also be able to use Green City Kigali, Rwanda’s flagship smart city project, as a sandbox to test their solutions and enter the Rwandan market. To learn more about SCIP, visit scipafrica.com.

Overview

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May 23, 2021
Program dates Jun 21 - Dec 17, 2021
Organizer GIZ
Website Visit website
Targets Africa
Sectors
Environmental services, Utilities, Water, sanitation and hygiene, Clean technology, Construction, EdTech, Financial services, Fintech, Green transportation and electric motors, HealthTech, Insurance, Public transport, Remittance, Smart city solutions, Waste management and recycling

Why apply to SCIP?

  • Access a network of international partners – Startups will be linked to international business partners, public institutions and investors.
  • Get support from dedicated mentors – Startups will be advised by a sector specific mentor and business development mentor.
  • Receive training tailored to your needs – Startups will receive trainings based on their identified needs, not a predefined curriculum.
  • Learn from peers in your sector – Startups will exchange with their cohort peers in the mobility, housing or fintech sector.

Who are we looking for?

SCIP aims at accelerating start-ups which have:

  • Operations in Africa: The startup is operating in one or more African countries. Startups 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 tech-enabled product or service on the market and have customers.
  • Growth & job creation potential: The start-up has the potential to expand its operations and meet significant market demand. Through growth, the start-up has the 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 the 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 program. Startups with female members in management are preferred at equal qualification.

Finally, startups with female members in management are preferred at equal qualification.

Timeline

SCIP is a 6-month remote accelerator running from June to December 2021. It will culminate with demo days organized in Kigali in the last weeks of September.

  1. Open Call: April 12th – May 23rd
    Selection during and after the Open Call.
  2. Kick-off phase: June 21st – July
    Remote needs assessment and virtual bootcamp
  3. Mentorship phase: August – September
    Remote mentorship and demo days in Kigali, Rwanda.
  4. Follow-up phase: October – November
    Securing collaborations post-demo-days.

How to apply?

Submit your application form on scipafrica.com before the end of the Open Call on May 23rd. If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to submit additional information about your start-up and participate to an interview.

About SCIP

The rate of urbanisation in Africa is the highest in the world. By 2030, 50% of Africans are predicted to be living in urban settings. According to the World Bank, this increasing urbanisation holds much potential for the continent, as it can result in economic growth and poverty reduction. At the same time, it holds the risk of aggravating inequality and urban poverty. Therefore, concrete action to direct Africa’s urban transformation in terms of the Sustainable Development Goals is needed. In collaboration with the Rwandan government, SCIP has been set up to support the growth of digital urban innovations in Rwanda and beyond. 

SCIP is a joint project of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation and the Tech-Entrepreneurship Initiative “Make IT in Africa”. Both initiatives are implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The implementation of SCIP is supported by Luvent Consulting, MEST and AfriLabs.

Team

Portfolio

Name Country Sector(s)
PayClide
Banking beyond borders
Uganda Banking, Fintech, Remittance
Tuverl
Smart Commuting
Zimbabwe Public transport
Naa Sika Micro Bank
A Coin a Day
Ghana Fintech
KaCyber Technologies
Making sustainable and seamless mobility a reality in Africa
Uganda Mobile, Online payment processing, Transport and l…
Cofundie
Democratizing housing finance in Africa
Ghana Financial services, Fintech, Real estate
Kiri EV Ltd
Leading the electric transportation revolution across Africa
Kenya Automotive, Clean technology, Clean technology and…
Digiduka
Digital services for the cash economy
Kenya Fintech, Retail
Instadriver
Instadriver is a driver employer marketplace & a saas fleet management
Kenya Transport and logistics
optimalogistic
Freight and logistics optimization through digital solution
Tunisia Green transportation and electric motors, Import a…
Cladfy Financial Services
The last-mile lending infrastructure for emerging markets
Kenya Financial services
Koolboks
Making eco-friendly refrigeration affordable and accessible to all
France Clean technology, Clean technology and energy, Sol…
InsurePay Zambia Limited
Your Growth, Our Priority
Zambia Fintech
Ewarren Fnancial Services
smart mobility solution
Canada Financial services, Fintech
Messibat International
PREFAB RAMMED EARTH/BAMBOO
Côte d'Ivoire Construction and manufacturing, Waste management a…
Dove Air
Saving lives, from the skies
South Africa Healthcare, Healthcare providers and services, Tra…
Expendo Ltd
Expendo! is a fast, convenient and affordable way of moving cargo.
Kenya Transport and logistics
STES Group Ltd
Rwanda Company in Smart Agriculture
Rwanda Farm machinery
Mazi Mobility
Moving People, Data, and Things
Kenya Green transportation and electric motors
Goods and Services 360 Limited (Gas360)
We ensure our users never run out of gas.
Nigeria Clean technology and energy, Internet of things (I…