JASIRI Growth Accelerator

About the program

The JASIRI Growth Accelerator supports existing businesses with high growth potential to achieve key growth milestones and get ready for investment. The Growth Accelerator focuses on startups from Rwanda or Kenya with market-creating innovations i.e. businesses solving difficult problems and providing goods or services to a large number of people.

These businesses must have achieved product-market fit. A lack of sufficient traction is a common cause of early-stage businesses’ struggle to fundraise. Yet, the nature of Market Creating Innovations is that they are expensive to build and require funding. Thus, the focus of the accelerator is on helping businesses gain the traction that matters to raise investment and achieve growth. The JASIRI Growth Accelerator bridges the funding gap that exists for businesses solving difficult problems, birthing Market Creating Innovations, and hence distinct funding needs.

Overview

The Growth Accelerator is a three-month virtual program that follows a carefully designed framework that guides and fast-tracks founders to achieving the key metrics that will grow their businesses and make them investable. At the end of the three months, businesses that meet the program requirements pitch to a highly-esteemed network of JASIRI investment partners. Successful businesses will raise US$75,000 from JASIRI, with the opportunity for additional funding from JASIRI co-investors. Furthermore, after the completion of the three-month program, businesses engage in monthly accountability coaching and mentoring sessions to continue accelerating their growth.

The Growth Accelerator program is composed of 11 key topics:

• Problem-solution
• Market sizing
• Product and value
• Growth strategy
• Market Creating Innovations
• Growth Tools
• Creating a high-performing team
• Strategy, team, and execution
• Marketing and sales
• Revenue models
• Fundraising

Program offering

Acceleration: 3 Month Intensive (Virtual)

• Weekly tutorials and office hours.
• Monthly pitching practicals.
• Bi-weekly coaching and accountability sessions.
• Final demo day and opportunity for $75k+ investment

Post Accelerator Support: 9-Month Growth Monitoring & Support (Virtual)

• Monthly accountability coaching and mentoring sessions to support businesses to grow and reach key milestones

The businesses also get credits (AWS, Hubspot, Freshdesk, Zendesk) and business support services.

Eligibility criteria

To be accepted into the Growth Accelerator program, the Startups must exhibit the following:

• Large potential market.
• Market-Creating Innovation – potential to address nonconsumption ie trying to solve difficult problems and providing goods or services that were previously not accessible or affordable to a large number of people.
• Existing user base.
• Generating revenue.
• Consistent growth in revenue or user acquisition.
• Proof of legal Registration and tax compliance in Rwanda or Kenya.