The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is expanding its start-up accelerator program (NINJA Accelerator) to Kenya, scheduled to take place in Nairobi on 7 April 2021, in collaboration with the Double Feather Partners (DFP) / Deloitte Tohmatsu consortium, and GrowthAfrica, as part of its Next Innovation with Japan project (Project NINJA).
The “NINJA Accelerator in Kenya” is the first of a series of NINJA Accelerators that JICA aims to launch in Africa over the next three years, further expanding JICA’s involvement with African start-ups, building on its “NINJA Business Plan Competition in Response to COVID-19,” whose grand finale will be streamed online from Tokyo on 26 February 2021.
JICA is expanding its start-up accelerator program to Kenya after Ethiopia in 2020. Together with Japanese consulting firms Double Feather Partners (DFP), Deloitte Tohmatsu Investment Support (DTVS), Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory LLC (DTFA), and Kenya-based business accelerator GrowthAfrica, the NINJA Accelerator will take place in Kenya.
A first cohort of five Kenyan start-ups will be carefully chosen to participate in a three-month, tailor-made, intensive program providing a unique combination of Japanese and African experience, local awareness, and access to a network of mentors and investors from Japan, Africa and around the world.
In addition, a symbolic US$ 15,000 Welcome Award from Double Feather Partners will be given to each chosen start-up, as well as a chance to participate in a business event in Tokyo courtesy of JICA, among other surprises.
NINJA Accelerator applications in Kenya are now open until 22 February 2021. You can find more information on the program’s website at www.jica.ninja
In addition to its forthcoming NINJA Accelerators in Africa, in collaboration with Japan’s leading business publication Nikkei and Japanese consulting company Double Feather Partners, JICA will organize the Grand Finale of its “NINJA Business Plan Competition in Response to COVID-19” on February 26, 2021.
Launched in July 2020, 10 finalists from more than 2,700 African start-ups from 19 countries were chosen for an opportunity to sign a JICA job contract, win an equity/debt-free amount of up to US$ 30,000, and participate in a pitch event, the Grand Finale, hosted by JICA in Tokyo for more investment and business partnership opportunities.
Agrinfo (Tanzania), And Africa LLC (South Africa), Appy Citizens (Angola), Emergency Response Africa (Nigeria), Lifestores Healthcare (Nigeria), MajestEYE (Tunisia), Mobile Scan Solutions (Uganda), Moja Ride (Côte d’Ivoire), TranSoniCa (Ghana), and Upepo Technology (Kenya) are the 10 Finalists .
On February 26, 2021, the Grand Finale will be streamed live, for free, with simultaneous interpretation in English and French. Viewers can register and receive additional information from the web page here.
More information about the NINJA Business Plan Competition in Response to COVID-19 can be found here .