Afreximbank has selected startups for a three-month cohort beginning in March 2026 that will combine mentorship, learning modules and potential investment to scale trade-focused innovation.
A Three-Month Push for Trade-Linked Scale
African Export-Import Bank has selected startups for the first cohort of its accelerator, described as a three-month initiative aimed at scaling companies that support intra-African trade and industrialisation under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“The Afreximbank Accelerator Programme reflects our belief in the power of innovation to transform intra-African trade and also underscores the important role that Global Africa’s innovation plays in realising the promise of the AfCFTA. This inaugural cohort represents the future of African enterprise, and we are proud to invest in them from vision to scale to nurture solutions needed to unlock trade across Africa, the diaspora, and the Caribbean,” said Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank.
What the Programme Offers
The accelerator is set to begin in March and attracted more than 1,600 applications from across Africa, the diaspora and the Caribbean. The finalists were selected following business assessments, interviews and pitch sessions overseen by the bank’s trade specialists alongside external experts from the venture capital and innovation ecosystem.
Participants are expected to take part in virtual learning modules, workshops and in-person sessions hosted in Abuja, Nairobi and at the bank’s headquarters in Cairo, before a demo day where startups present to investors, policymakers and industry executives.
Financing, Mentorship and Platforms
The accelerator will provide equity financing of up to $250,000 through Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), subject to selection criteria. Finalists will also receive mentorship from investors and trade specialists, as well as access to the bank’s trade facilitation platforms, regulatory pathways and network of government, private-sector and multilateral partners.
Cohort Details
The inaugural cohort is made up of the following startups:
- Fincart.io — an “operating system for e-commerce SMEs,” unifying order management, shipping, delivery experience management, cash reconciliation and embedded working capital.
- OnePort 365 — integrates air, ocean and trucking into “a single digital ecosystem,” providing end-to-end shipment visibility and digitised customs/compliance processes.
- Timon — a travel and payments wallet offering USD travel cards alongside local payment methods such as mobile money, QR codes and bank transfers.
- Zowasel — “transforming agribusiness trade” through technology, data-driven insights and alternative finance solutions.
- Gebeya — provides AI Agents described as an “always-on digital assistant” built for business owners in the African market.
- Fluna — building “digital trade infrastructure” via a vetted marketplace connecting suppliers with verified buyers and embedding financing into trade flows.
- Capsa — runs GetCapsa, a digital marketplace for invoice factoring and supply chain finance, enabling conversion of unpaid invoices into cash “within 48 hours.”
- Daba Finance — described as “Africa’s first unified investment and capital-mobilization platform” supporting cross-border investing and African trade.
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