Who is eligible to apply for the Visa Africa Accelerator?

All Seed to Series A startups that are post MVP and operating in Africa are encouraged to apply for the program.

What is the selection process like?

All applicants will undergo two rounds of screening by our program team. In the first round, each application will be reviewed for program alignment, existing traction, founding team, and proposed synergies with Visa. Shortlisted startups will be invited to participate in a series of virtual interviews, and finalists will be notified ahead of the program kickoff.

Will this program be run in English?

Yes, this program will be run primarily in English; however, we can explore providing language support in case your startup may need the help of our in-market country teams. Please note the interview process will be conducted entirely in English.

Is this accelerator program similar to the Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI)?

Unlike VEI which is a global startup competition, the Visa Africa Accelerator is a full 3-months program with more engagement and requirements. In this program, the selected startups will be required to meaningfully engage across the tailored mentorship, training, and exercise sessions over a period of 3-months.

What is the duration and format of the program?

The program will be delivered in a hybrid format and will last for 3-months in total. It will include an onboarding week, 10 virtual focus weeks, an investor week and an in-person Demo Day. Other in-person events maybe be organized during the duration of the program such as city meetups or other country or regional events.

Visa Accelerator

Visa Accelerator Program

Unlock your startup's potential and fast-track your success in the dynamic world of fintech with the Visa Accelerator program. This groundbreaking initiative connects Africa's brightest minds with experienced mentors, cutting-edge technology, and unparalleled investment opportunities.

Are you ready to disrupt the industry, revolutionize finance, and make an impact in the ecosystem? Join us on this exciting 3-months journey to propel your startup towards unprecedented growth and recognition. It's time to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit and forge a path to success in the vibrant fintech landscape.

Benefits

Knowledge and Expertise

Gain a competitive edge with a tailored program covering product design, marketing, finance, sales and more. Receive experts’ guidance and strategic insights to accelerate your startup's growth and unlock its full potential.

Mentorship

Gain access to 1:1 mentoring from experts and founders in the ecosystem from Africa and beyond. Learn from the experience of others to solve your challenges.

Visa Specific Training

Benefit from exclusive Fintech and payment training modules designed by Visa. Enhance your understanding of the fintech landscape, payment ecosystem, and industry best practices. Startups will also get the chance to access Visa’s developer portal and experiment with Visa products and services.

Funding

Secure the funding you need to bring your innovative ideas to life. Showcase your startup during the Demo Day and you could be considered for an investment opportunity by Visa, Plug and Play, and our wider Venture Capital community.

Partnership Opportunities

Forge powerful partnerships that can drive your startup forward. The program aims to open doors to valuable collaboration opportunities with industry leaders, innovative companies, and strategic partners.

Product Perks

Gain access to a wide selection of product perks and discounts from over 100 vendors for a combined offer value of over $200,000 such as AWS with product credits, mentorship and fintech-specific training modules.

Who Should Apply

If your team has already designed a minimum viable product related to the proposed areas designed a minimum viable product related to the proposed challenges or has a market-ready solution, you are the right fit for the program.

Stage

Seed to Series A startups with at least an MVP

Solution

Building a solution addressing one of our themes

Traction

Market tested solution that has gained traction

Geography

Existing operations in Africa or demonstrated commitment to expand in Africa

Program Timeline

Opportunity Areas

We are looking for the best and brightest companies to address the following themes. If you believe your company is building solutions in one or more of these areas, you are welcome to apply and join the Visa Accelerator program.

Unlocking new payment flows

Are you ready to digitize cash intensive P2P, B2C, B2B, G2C payments to create new commerce opportunities?

Cross-border remittances and funds disbursements
Finance management platforms for B2B (e.g. payables, receivables, procurement, etc)
Social commerce and the creator economy
Government disbursements, collections, and payouts
Open banking and account-to-account solutions
Treasury-as-a-Service
Mobile money flows and interoperability

A woman making a payment with a smartwatch

Embedded Finance

Are you creating advanced intelligence solutions to enhance payment and finance experiences in B2C and B2B commerce models?

Installments and flexible financing models
Transaction engagement and management (e.g. sustainability tracking, transaction controls, PFM)
Consumer loyalty and rewards
Banking-as-a-Service
Fintech-as-a-Service

Empowering merchants and SMEs

Are you targeting to accelerate the growth of merchants and SMEs through digital payment solutions to foster financial inclusion?

Next-generation omni-channel online and face-to-face payments
Installments, POS financing, and BNPL
Financing, alternative lending and risk mitigation structures
Merchant value add solutions (e.g working capital optimization, supplier marketplace, inventory management, etc.)
Merchant loyalty and engagement

Payment Infrastructure Enablers

Are you solving the ground layers of payment infrastructure and key enabling services?

Authentication and fraud solutions
KYC, customer onboarding and identity management
Payment processing and facilitation
B2B platform enablers
Credit scoring and risk management solutions
Data solutions and insights

The Future of finance

Are you building at the frontier of payment and Fintech? Are you integrating cutting edge technology to build the future of Finance?

Integration of AI / ML into payment solutions
Leveraging blockchain and decentralized technologies
Programmable money
Crypto risk, fraud, data and intelligence
Custodial and non-custodial infrastructure
CBDC and stablecoin solutions

Sustainable and Inclusive Finance

Are you enhancing payment technology to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive financial system, reduce inequality and create positive impact for people, economies, and the environment?

Financial services for underserved communities or climate-vulnerable communities
Affordable and accessible financial solutions
Impact management and measurement
Carbon footprint and climate neutral solutions

Unleash your Fintech potential with Visa

This program is operated and managed by Plug and Play. Your application and participation in the Program is subject to the Terms and Conditions.

Apply now

Meet Our Startups

FAQ

: All Seed to Series A startups that are post MVP and operating in Africa are encouraged to apply for the program.
: All applicants will undergo two rounds of screening by our program team. In the first round, each application will be reviewed for program alignment, existing traction, founding team, and proposed synergies with Visa. Shortlisted startups will be invited to participate in a series of virtual interviews, and finalists will be notified ahead of the program kickoff.
: Yes, this program will be run primarily in English; however, we can explore providing language support in case your startup may need the help of our in-market country teams. Please note the interview process will be conducted entirely in English.
: Unlike VEI which is a global startup competition, the Visa Africa Accelerator is a full 3-months program with more engagement and requirements. In this program, the selected startups will be required to meaningfully engage across the tailored mentorship, training, and exercise sessions over a period of 3-months.
: The program will be delivered in a hybrid format and will last for 3-months in total. It will include an onboarding week, 10 virtual focus weeks, an investor week and an in-person Demo Day. Other in-person events maybe be organized during the duration of the program such as city meetups or other country or regional events.

: Since the program is non-residential and does not require your presence daily, we do not offer free coworking space.
: Start-ups successfully completing the program could be considered for an investment by either Visa or Plug and Play. Any investment considerations will be made at the end of the program (on or around Demo Day) and we expect that up to 50% of the cohort could receive an investment from either Visa or Plug and Play. In addition, the Demo Day will be attended by regional and global Venture Capital investors that could be interested in providing further funding as well.
: The program is completely free of charge for the participating companies and there is NO fee associated with taking part in the activities throughout the cohort.
: Everything you will be providing through our application form will be treated as confidential and will only be shared with the parties involved in the selection process.
: Visa will cover flights and accommodation for a single founder from each of the participating startups to be able to attend the Demo Day in person.
: Startups are not allowed to be enrolled in another accelerator during the program.
: For further details on the terms and conditions, please check here.
: Please contact us at: [email protected]

Join the Fintech revolution with Visa

Apply now

You could reach us
via Email.

For Terms and Conditions,
please click here.

For Global Privacy Notice,
please click here.