Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter launches its first ShelterTech Accelerator program in Kenya. A program which was created to help facilitate housing markets to better meet the needs of low-income households, while also seeking to identify, nurture and accelerate Kenyan start-ups and growth stage companies bringing shelter products and services to low-income household market.
The ShelterTech Accelerator Kenya is enacted by BDO East Africa, in conjunction with Pangea Accelerator, a platform connection which connects startups in Africa with foreign investments and expertise, together with Strathmore University’s @iBizAfrica. The program is supported by the IKEA Foundation and the Hilti Foundation.
Due to rising inadequate housing issues being faced by many countries of the world, including Kenya, where approximately 61% of Kenyans live in temporary shelter or extremely low-quality housing, the ShelterTech Accelerator Kenya program was created to bring together entrepreneurs, government, corporations and development partners in mapping out and showcasing innovation in improving access to shelter.
With over 94 applications received from Kenya already, the program launch will unveil 30 start-ups and scale-ups to undergo a six-month acceleration program, giving them access tp expertise, network and a rare chance to win investments of up to $50,000 to help scale their business. The program will run from November 2018 till May 29.
“The ShelterTech Accelerator Kenya will contribute to the government of Kenya’s affordable housing pillar that aims to have at least 500,000 affordable homes in all major cities while ensuring 350,000 people get jobs in the housing sector by 2022,” says Jane Otima, Habitat for Humanity’s Associate Director for Market Systems and Entrepreneurship.
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According to BDO’s CEO Sandeep Khapre, the ShelterTech Accelerator program is an innovative initiative that will facilitate achievement Habitat for Humanity Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter’s objective to Build and Expand Inclusive Housing Markets.
According to Pangea’s CEO Jonas Tesfu, the startup ecosystem continent-wide, if given the right tools and means to invest is as vibrant as any other industry across the globe. Jonas notes that Africa remains very attractive as a new startup frontier, “Africans and non-Africans alike are looking to be part of its rapid development and are seeking ways to make this happen.”
Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter views the ShelterTech Accelerator as an efficient and structured mechanism of evaluating large numbers of ventures with the aim of building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in the still nascent affordable housing space. The program is making its Africa debut in Kenya, joining previous successful implementation in Mexico and current implementation in India.
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