MEST Scale was a growth-stage accelerator tailored for tech and tech-enabled ventures in Ghana. This three-year initiative, launched by MEST Africa, in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation under the Young Africa Works strategy, sought to adapt and test the core principles of MEST’s training to elevate the Ghanaian venture ecosystem. The program targeted leaders of growth-stage startups and tech-driven ventures, helping them enhance their operations, bridge critical technology gaps, establish capital connections, and build the capacity needed to scale.
The program’s design was shaped by findings from our study on the “Ghanaian Ecosystem of Tech Startups and SMEs :Current State, Challenges, and Opportunities”, which highlighted that the most promising concentration of enterprises and sectors were located in the Greater Accra region. As a result, MEST Scale targeted ventures in this region, adapting its curriculum to meet the specific needs of growth-stage businesses. Support was tailored to each company, providing technical assistance through company diagnostics and research, and addressing challenges in areas such as Investment Readiness, Product and Technology, Governance and Legal, Business Modeling, Leadership, Partnerships, and Sales.
MEST Scale successfully achieved its objectives to support ventures in their scaling journeys and create job opportunities for youth across the last three years. MEST Africa believes that the venture acceleration pilot can only be built further. This impact report will provide an overview of the growth-stage accelerator, the key impacts and learnings, and the conclusion.
Our comprehensive impact report for the years 2021 to 2023 encapsulates valuable insights into:
- Program design and implementation strategies
- Bespoke support mechanisms for growth-stage ventures
- Impact on revenue growth, job creation, and scaling capacity
- Key learnings about the Ghanaian tech ecosystem
- Challenges and opportunities in scaling tech ventures
- Detailed program outcomes and success stories
- In-depth analysis of the Ghanaian tech ecosystem
- Strategies for addressing scaling challenges
- Recommendations for future growth-stage acceleration initiatives
- Redefined understanding of scaling for African startups
This report is essential reading for:
- Entrepreneurs looking to scale their tech ventures
- Investors interested in the Ghanaian tech ecosystem
- Policymakers focused on digital economy development
- Ecosystem builders and support organizations
