In this episode of Entrepreneurs Talk Africa, host Jason Delorie interviews Abu Cassim, Lead for the Acceleration Team at VC4A, about their Venture Showcase program.

Brief

The VC4A Venture Showcase provides acceleration support including mentorship, training, and investor connections to growth-stage startups in Africa and Latin America. With deep investor involvement throughout the program, 65% of participating startups raise funding within a year.

Top Moments

- [1:20] Key differences between incubation and acceleration programs
- [5:26] VC4A Venture Showcase aims to increase early-stage funding in emerging markets   
- [8:11] Continuous investor engagement makes VC4A unique
- [12:25] 65% of startups raise funding within a year of participating in the program
- [15:41] Support provided for seed and Series A startups 
- [18:46] Focused on high-impact sectors like climate, agriculture, and cities
- [22:13] Access to top investors and mentors throughout Africa

Learn More

Get involved with VC4A programs and meet investors and mentors:
- VC4A Venture Showcase website: https://ventureshowcase.vc4a.com
- VC4A platform to connect: https://vc4a.com

Related resources

- Harvard Business Review - "What Startup Accelerators Really Do" https://hbr.org/2016/03/what-startup-accelerators-really-do
- INC Magazine - "Do Accelerator Programs Really Make Startups More Successful?" https://www.inc.com/magazine/201505/tom-foster/do-accelerators-work.html