A 12 week virtual accelerator designed to help early-stage African entrepreneurs refine their ideas, build solid business models, and take confidence steps towards growth and funding.
This program is an ideal fit if you identify with any of these groups.
You have a groundbreaking idea but need guidance to turn it into reality. This program will help you validate your concept, build your first prototype, and develop a clear plan to launch your business.
You’ve started your entrepreneurial journey, but you're looking for mentorship, structure, and strategies to optimize your business model, improve operations, and attract your first customers.
You run an existing business and want to innovate, scale, or pivot. This program provides tools to diversify revenue streams, optimize operations, and explore new markets or digital opportunities.
You’re transitioning from a corporate career or another field into the startup ecosystem. The Academy offers a crash course in entrepreneurial best practices, helping you hit the ground running with confidence.
Our program equips you with the critical knowledge and practical skills needed to launch and scale a successful startup.
Delivered in person twice a week, these sessions offer essential theoretical insights designed to build a solid foundation for your entrepreneurial journey.
Hosted once a month in person, these interactive workshops allow you to put theory into practice, collaborating with seasoned mentors on real-world challenges.
At the conclusion of the program, you will present your project to a panel of investors and industry experts during an exclusive offline event, gaining valuable exposure, feedback, and potential investment opportunities.
Gain access to a rigorous 12-week program that guides you through every aspect of building a startup—from problem validation to scaling and attracting investors. Each session is packed with actionable strategies that will help you take your startup to the next level.
Connect with successful founders, industry experts, and investors who have navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship. Our mentors offer tailored guidance and insights, ensuring you have the support needed to overcome obstacles and refine your strategies.
Move beyond theory by applying every lesson directly to your startup. From creating your MVP to testing your product-market fit, this program equips you with practical tools and knowledge that drive measurable progress.
Join a vibrant cohort of like-minded innovators. The Academy fosters peer-to-peer learning and networking, enabling you to grow alongside other ambitious founders and share insights, ideas, and encouragement.
Showcase your startup at Demo Day and potentially pitch to investors at the Startup Garage Summit. These high-profile events connect you to the African startup ecosystem, opening doors to valuable partnerships and funding opportunities.
The program’s fee ensures access to high-quality resources, instruction, and mentorship that are specifically designed to fast-track your startup. This investment in your growth and development sets a strong foundation for your venture’s success.
Startup Garage Academy offers unique opportunities to enrich your entrepreneurial experience, addressing both personal and professional growth. Here are the top three additional features of the program:
Entrepreneurship can be demanding, which is why Founder Therapy sessions offer essential mental health support. Participate in group discussions with fellow founders, access professional therapists specializing in entrepreneurship challenges, and engage in guided mindfulness activities to enhance resilience, balance, and mental clarity.
Gain inspiration and insights from seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders. These guest speakers share their stories, successes, and challenges, providing actionable advice and new perspectives that you can apply to your own journey, helping you grow and succeed in your startup.
Connect with founders, mentors, investors, and partners during dynamic mixers and meetups. These networking events open doors to collaboration, partnerships, and industry connections. They are a great opportunity to expand your network, share ideas, and strengthen relationships within the startup ecosystem.
Activities:
✅ Participant Introductions: Each entrepreneur shares their business background, key challenges, and goals.
✅ Business Challenges Exploration: A group discussion on common obstacles in Kenya’s business landscape, and conduct brief individual assessments to pinpoint immediate needs.
✅ Q&A: Open session to clarify logistics, mentorship details, and session expectations.
Activities:
✅ Advanced Leadership Skills: Learn how to lead with vision, motivate diverse teams, and drive strategic decision-making.
✅ Self-Awareness Exercises: Identify leadership strengths and areas for improvement using interactive activities.
✅ Strategic Decision-Making Workshop: Practice data-driven decision-making through case studies and group discussions.
Activities:
✅ Empathy Mapping: Explore customer personas and map out user journeys.
✅ Ideation Techniques: Engage in creative brainstorming sessions that generate innovative solutions.
✅ Prototyping Exercises: Build rapid prototypes to test and iterate design ideas.
Activities:
✅ Business Model Review: Analyze your model’s strengths and gaps.
✅ Revenue Diversification: Explore additional revenue streams and innovative business opportunities.
✅ Customer Segmentation: Deep dive into your customer base to tailor products and services more effectively.
✅ Innovation Workshop: Brainstorm ways to tweak your model and maintain competitiveness.
✅ Financial Health Analysis: Assess your current financial standing.
✅ Budgeting Techniques: Learn effective budgeting strategies tailored for entrepreneurs.
✅ Cash Flow Management: Understand and plan for personal financial fluctuations in parallel with business cycles.
✅ Forecasting & Budget Controls: Set up financial forecasting models and control mechanisms.
✅ Interpreting Financial Statements: Gain insights into income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow analysis.
✅ Cost & Profit Analysis: Identify areas to cut unnecessary costs while driving profitability, including margin analysis.
✅ Tax Efficiency Structures: Learn how to structure your business for optimal tax efficiency.
✅ Understanding Tax Laws: Cover essentials of corporate tax, VAT, PAYE, and other critical regulations.
✅ Audit Preparation: Discuss best practices for preparing for audits and maintaining transparent financial records.
✅ Funding Options: Understand the nuances of private equity, venture capital, debt financing, and angel investments.
✅ Investor Pitching: Workshops to craft compelling pitches and develop investor decks.
✅ Negotiation Exercises: Role-play and simulations on term sheet negotiations and equity deals.
✅ Digital Marketing Tactics: Learn techniques for SEO, content marketing, social media, and paid advertising.
✅ Personalized Campaigns: Create targeted marketing strategies based on customer data and personas.
✅ Brand Storytelling: Use storytelling methods to craft a compelling brand narrative that connects emotionally.
✅ Sales Tactics: Learn about developing effective sales funnels and mastering negotiation techniques.
✅ Team Building: Strategies for hiring, training, and inspiring a high-performance sales team.
✅ Customer Retention: Explore techniques for upselling, cross-selling, and maintaining long-term client relationships.
✅ Sales Analytics: Utilize data to track and forecast sales performance.
✅ Process Optimization: Identify operational inefficiencies and map out streamlined processes.
✅ Automation Tools: Demonstrations on using software for inventory, accounting, customer service, and project management.
✅ Supplier & System Management: Strategies for effective supplier relations and scalable system implementation.
✅ Growth Strategies Workshop: Evaluate methods from product line expansion to entering new geographical markets.
✅ Expansion Tactics: Understand franchising, licensing, and strategic partnerships.
✅ Scenario Planning: Develop actionable plans for sustainable business expansion.
✅ Website & UX Optimization: Techniques to improve website performance, user experience, and SEO.
✅ E-Commerce & Data Analytics: Strategies for building online sales channels and analytical approaches to understand customer behavior.
✅ Tech Stack Evaluation: Choose the right digital tools and platforms to manage and grow your business.
✅ Crisis Planning: Develop a comprehensive crisis management plan, including risk mitigation.
✅ Crisis Communication: Role-play effective communication strategies for crisis scenarios.
✅ Sustainability Practices: Integrate sustainable business practices to ensure long-term success.
✅ Exit Options: Explore various exit strategies, including M&A, IPOs, or selling your business.
✅ Preparation Workshops: Understand the steps involved in readying your company for exit or succession.
✅ Legacy & Post-Exit: Discuss succession planning and post-exit strategies for reinvestment or new ventures.
From eligibility and fees to physical classes and post-program opportunities, this guide ensures you understand how the academy works and what to expect along your entrepreneurial journey.
Startup Garage Academy is a 12-week accelerator program designed to empower entrepreneurs with the tools, mentorship, and network needed to scale their startups. It is ideal for founders who are beyond the idea phase and ready to validate their business model, optimize operations, and prepare for growth.
Startup Garage Academy is specifically tailored for entrepreneurs who are past the ideation stage. This includes early-stage founders with established business models, professionals transitioning into entrepreneurship, and existing business owners looking to innovate or scale their ventures.
The fee for the initial cohort is 9,000 Kenyan Shillings, discounted from the standard price of $350. This limited-time rate offers unparalleled access to mentorship, physical workshops, and a comprehensive entrepreneurial accelerator.
Startup Garage Academy features three immersive in-person sessions that complement the virtual curriculum:
Tailormade Coaching (The Pit Stop): Personalized guidance on refining business models, leadership strategies, and scaling operations.
Therapy for Entrepreneurs (The Gear Shift Therapy): Joint therapy sessions and peer-to-peer discussions to foster emotional resilience and mental wellness.
Pitch Preparation & Demo Day: A live event where participants showcase their startups to mentors, investors, and industry leaders, gaining valuable feedback and networking opportunities.
The academy follows a hybrid model, with weekly virtual masterclasses supported by the three in-person physical sessions. This format ensures founders gain flexible, practical learning while engaging in hands-on experiences through coaching, therapy, and pitching events.
Startup Garage Academy does not provide direct funding nor take any equity in participating businesses. The program focuses on equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge, mentorship, and opportunities they need to independently attract funding and partnerships.
Yes! Participants benefit from networking mixers, guest speaker sessions, and collaboration with fellow founders. These opportunities connect you to mentors, investors, and peers who can support your growth and entrepreneurial journey.
Applications are submitted online during open enrollment periods. Prospective participants must fill out an application form detailing their business, goals, and progress. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interviews or pitch sessions prior to final selection.
Graduates gain access to the Startup Garage alumni network, lifetime mentorship opportunities, and continued visibility in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This ensures support as they scale their ventures and prepare for long-term success.
Take the first step toward transforming your startup and unlocking its full potential. This program is your opportunity to gain expert mentorship, refine your strategies, and connect with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Secure your place in the upcoming cohort and start your journey toward building a scalable, successful venture today.
