Deadline Date: January 14, 2026
The Eye Health Accelerator Program invites legally registered African startups with validated solutions and demonstrated traction to apply and scale tech-enabled innovations tackling major vision challenges across the continent.
The focus areas of the opportunity are proven, tech-enabled eye-health solutions addressing major vision challenges, demonstrated adoption, partnerships, and early revenue, clear potential for scale across LMIC markets, responsible innovation principles, data protection requirements, public health priorities, demonstrated evidence of improved access, quality, or affordability, strong innovation aligned with eye-health needs, demonstrated adoption, revenue, or active pilots, clear potential to replicate in LMIC markets, strong leadership and operational readiness, ability to absorb catalytic capital and grow sustainably, fit with national eye-health priorities.
This accelerator targets startups offering impactful eye-health solutions that are technologically enabled and already showing real-world use. Eligible applicants must be legally registered in a Sub-Saharan African country and have a founder or senior leader who is a resident of an African nation. Solutions should already demonstrate traction through revenue, adoption, partnerships or pilot activity and be aligned with public health priorities and responsible innovation practices.
The program seeks startups that present the ability to improve access, quality or affordability of eye care while showing readiness to scale into low- and middle-income markets. High-performing teams with strong leadership and organisational capacity are encouraged to apply, especially those positioned to absorb catalytic capital and expand sustainably.
Startups whose work aligns with national eye-health strategies and shows measurable outcomes for users, patients or healthcare systems will be prioritised. The programme aims to accelerate innovation in the African eye-health ecosystem, supporting companies that can scale into broader regional and global markets while strengthening health systems.
For more information, visit Villgro Africa.
