RFAs: OceanHub Africa Acceleration Program 2025

This initiative aims to support up to twenty-four (24) of Africa’s most promising impact-driven for-profit startups dedicated to preserving and restoring the health of the ocean

Their accelerator is committed to nurturing environmentally conscious and profitable ventures. They strive to foster an economy that effectively combats global warming, overexploitation, and pollution of the oceans. Leveraging their extensive network of stakeholders and facilitators, they offer an innovative hybrid program. This program is designed to identify sustainable pathways that ensure stable profits (ROIs) and opportunities for scalable growth across Africa.

Benefits

• Service Package:
  • Up to $75k worth of cloud services through their partner, AWS Activate.
  • Over $40k worth of mechanical engineering design software licenses for prototyping and virtual testing, courtesy of their partner, 3DExperience Lab.
  • Access to Dassault Systèmes, Amazon Web Services, Hubspot support, and Notion Premium.
  • Legal advisory sessions with Sidley Austin, Bowmans, and Lex Mundi (multinational law firms) based on your targeted market, valued at up to $50k.
  • Advisory sessions with Mercator Ocean International, Blue Oceans Partners, Ocean14 Capital, WWF-SA, Dept. of Oceanography University of Cape Town, EuroSIMA, and more!
  • Self-development coaching with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business’ Centre for Coaching.
• Mentorship & Support
  • Participation in an in-person training bootcamp.
  • Tailored business skills and personal development 1-1 coaching.
  • Sales, Product Development, Communication, and Business Development Support.
  • Mentorship from their network of scientific, business, impact, and investment experts from international corporations, foundations, universities, and Intergovernmental Organizations.
  • Potential to take part in Katapult Ocean’s acceleration program post OHA’s acceleration graduation.
• Network
  • Access to networking events and conferences, including a stand and stage time at the Ocean Innovation Africa annual summit.
  • Opportunities to connect with potential clients for local and international expansion.
  • Access to their international network of ocean-impact incubators/accelerators for global scaling.
  • Access to key external partners.
  • The potential to attend Katapult Ocean’s Future Festival in Norway.

Funding Information

• Fund-Raising Support
  • Potential funding of up to $15k.
  • Support in preparing and conducting investor pitches, including training sessions with partner investors.
  • Assistance in structuring deals, including reviews by transactional and commercial lawyers.
  • Access to a diverse portfolio of impact investors and corporate venture capitalist funds.
  • Access to a dedicated investment support with the partnership with Katapult Ocean’s investment team.
  • OceanHub Africa is a nominator organization seeking to promote its cohort to The Earthshot Prize.

Eligibility Criteria

• Your startup is ocean-minded, having a direct or indirect positive impact on the oceans (addressing climate change, pollution, or overexploitation).
• You are a for-profit entity operating in Africa.
• You offer a scalable service or product either on the market or soon to be launched.
• Your product/service demonstrates innovation and/or your business model is disruptive.
• You are seeking investments or exploring new markets.

Selection Criteria

• Impact and Vision
  • How much is environmental and/or social impact embedded into your culture and/or part of your long term goals.
  • How impactful is your business with respect to ocean pollution, overexploitation, and/or tackling global warming and its effect on oceans.
• Business Model
  • Product-market fit and market potential.
  • Innovative approach.
  • Current traction and/or growth strategy.
  • Scalability.
• Technology
  • IP owned.
  • Business built on reliable technology (-ies) including both software and hardware.
  • Innovation.
  • Adaptability and scalability.
• Team
  • Team size.
  • Team background.
  • Relevance of distribution of responsibilities, priorities.
  • Focus (limited participation in other programs in parallel)
  • Ambition and passion.

For more information, visit OceanHub Africa.