OceanHub Africa Acceleration Program

This initiative aims to support up to fifteen of Africa’s most promising impact-driven for-profit startups dedicated to preserving and restoring the health of the ocean.

What You Can Expect?

Joining the OceanHub Africa portfolio offers you:

• Access to a network of leading ocean experts, mentors (entrepreneurs, investors, innovation experts, impact experts, scientists, lawyers, etc.), impact investors, and potential clients.
• Engage with like-minded entrepreneurs within the Blue Economy space in Africa and abroad.
• Hands-on support to accelerate your growth, including customer acquisition, executing your first Proof of Concept, and scaling your business through commercial contracts and fundraising.

What they Offer?

• Service Package
  • Up to $75k worth of cloud service through the partner AWS Activate.
  • Over $40k worth of mechanical engineering design software licences for prototyping and virtual testing, courtesy to the 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!
• Mentorship & Support
  • Participation in an in-person bootcamp.
  • Tailored business skills and personal development 1-1 coaching.
  • Sales, Product Development, Communication, and Business Development Support.
  • Access to the network of scientific, business, impact, and investment experts from international corporations, foundations, universitites, and intergovernmental organisations.
• Network
  • Access to networking events and conferences, including a stand and stage time at the Ocean Innovation Africa annual summit
  • Access to potential clients (market leads) for local and international expansion
  • Access to the international network of ocean-impact incubators/accelerators to scale overseas
  • Access to key external partners
• Fund-Raising Support
  • Potential funding of up to 10k USD.
  • Support in preparing and conducting investor pitches, including training sessions with partner investors directly
  • Assistance in structuring deals, including reviews by transactional and commercial lawyers
  • Access to a diverse portfolio of impact investors and corporate venture capitalist funds
  • OceanHub Africa is a nominator organization seeking to promote its cohort to The Earthshot Prize.
• Note: The program will operate in a hybrid format, combining one-week in-person bootcamp sessions, in-person participation in the annual Ocean Innovation Africa Summit, and remote sessions using online tools and communication methods.

Eligibility

• 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.

For more information, visit OceanHub Africa.