The MEST Africa Challenge is on for 2022

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ACCRA, Ghana, 29th July 2022 – MEST Africa has officially announced the opening of applications for the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge.

Pre-seed to seed stage technology startups in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa are invited to apply to participate in the regional competitions to be held in these countries in October this year. Two finalists will be selected from each country to participate in the final Demo Day Pitch event to be held in Accra, Ghana for the ultimate prize of $50,000 in equity.  

Entries will be accepted till 30th August 2022 through the competition’s online application portal.

Speaking on the 2022 edition of the competition, MEST Africa’s Director of Portfolio, Melissa Nsiah said, “We are excited to bring back this competition to give more African Startups a platform to showcase and build on their unique value in an era where African startups and innovations are taking center stage and gaining global recognition and investments. We look forward to an invigorating season that will increase the drive towards building better businesses in Africa.” 

Run by pan-African training program, seed fund, incubator and hub, MEST Africa, the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) is Africa’s go-to pitch competition for technology startups looking to get to the next level of their growth journey. The challenge provides a stage for technology start-ups to raise funding, build industry networks and gain international visibility that would serve them well in growing and expanding their businesses. 

The competition has received thousands of applications from around the continent since its inception. It has spotlighted and impacted the growth of winning startups such as Tanzania’s Kilimo Fresh, Ghana’s OZE, South Africa’s Snode Technologies, Kenya’s Waya Waya, and Nigeria’s Accounteer.

Eligibility Criteria for MAC 2022:

  • Pre-seed or seed-stage (have raised $100k total or less cumulatively since inception)
  • Currently generating revenue 
  • Can demonstrate traction in one or more of the five MAC Markets (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal)
  • Has been in operation for 2 years or less
  • Tech-enabled (software company)
  • Industry agnostic
  • Any business model (B2B, B2C, B2B2C, B2G etc…)

Key benefits of the program:

  • Funding of up to $50,000
  • Perk prizes from MEST Strategic Partners
  • Global visibility
  • Build your networks
  • Professional coaching
  • Mentorship from experts
  • Join the global MEST Community for lifetime benefits

Learn more and apply here before the 30th August 2022.

Research Report: The Ghanaian Ecosystem of Tech Startups and SMEs

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Ghana has been identified as one of the fastest growing economies in Africa with the potential to do much more with its stable political economy, young dynamic population, growing digital adoption and the bankability of its population. These are factors that have also influenced the growth of technology startups and SMEs in the country who have great ambitions to achieve greater scale and impact.

Our latest report on The Ghanaian Ecosystem of Tech Startups and SMEs explores what all players in Ghana’s business and technology ecosystem can do to unleash the full potential of Ghana’s ecosystem with direct impact on the growth of tech startups and SMEs.

The past three years, though challenging in many ways due to COVID 19, has witnessed exponential growth in startup activity, while the SME space in Ghana remains relatively underdeveloped. Both startups and SMEs are not yet close to creating the level of economic transformation witnessed in upper-middle (UMIC) and high-income countries (HIC) and desired in low-income (LIC) and lower-middle-income countries (LMIC).

The report looks to better understand the potential for increased tech entrepreneurship and innovation in Ghana, and addresses three key questions:

  1. What is the current state of the startup and SME ecosystems in Ghana?
  2. What are the main challenges they face?
  3. What opportunities are there to support startups and SMEs to drive socio-economic progress in Ghana?

Our key recommendations from this report are to significantly increase initiatives for startups and SMEs that increase access to relevant capital for startups and SMEs, deep technical and business skills and services, value chain consolidation and proliferation, and relevant and transformational strategic and operational capacity and capabilities.

The data and findings presented in this report are the outcome of several research efforts conducted by MEST to help inform our strategy and design for three new programs that were rolled out in 2020. These three programs are addressing various challenges within the Ghanaian tech ecosystem for startups and SME:

• Pre-MEST: supporting young people to get digital skills so they can gain digitally-enabled work

• MEST Express: supporting early-stage digitally-enabled startups to grow and accelerate.

• MEST Scale: supporting established SMEs to scale.

Technology is no longer a standalone sector, but a critical cornerstone for how work is and will be done in society. Used properly, technology in startups and SMEs have the amazing ability to positively impact people and communities.

Download the full report for free here.

MEST APPOINTS MELISSA NSIAH AS DIRECTOR OF PORTFOLIO

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ACCRA, Ghana, 22 June 2022 – MEST, Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, has announced the appointment of Melissa Nsiah as its new Director of Portfolio.

Previously Program Manager for Stanford Seed West and South Africa, Melissa will be working closely with MEST Africa’s Founder, Jorn Lyseggen, to provide leadership and direction to the MEST portfolio companies, with a key focus on helping the companies with strategies around growth and scale. 

With an extensive background in operations, project management, user experience, and program design, Melissa brings real-world experience in leading businesses, building innovative and effective teams, developing systems, and business coaching. 

Commenting on the appointment, Founder Jorn Lyseggen stated, “Melissa is a unique combination of entrepreneur, executive, and business coach with an in-depth experience from doing business on the African continent as well as the US market. She is mission-driven and cares deeply about the growing tech ecosystem on the African continent. We are honoured to welcome Melissa to the MEST team.” 

Melissa is also a champion of sustainability and STEAM and spends the majority of her time outside of work fundraising for youth STEAM education and advocating for anti-pollution and green initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in Management Science and Engineering with a special focus on the intersection between technology and society.

MEST Training Program Updates - Deadline Extension & New Dates

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The deadline for applying for our 12-month Training Program in technology and entrepreneurship has now been extended by various dates to give applicants from different parts of the continent an opportunity to participate in the 2023 program.

The deadline extension differs from country to country;

  • Applications from Ghana, Nigeria, and the rest of the continent have been extended to 25th April 2022
  • Applications from Senegal have been extended to 4th May 2022
  • Applications from Kenya have been extended to 9th May 2022
  • Applications from South Africa have been extended to 1st June 2022

Applications for the Class of 2023 were opened in February this year to every young aspiring tech entrepreneur on the continent and were initially set to run till the 20th of April 2022.

“We are excited about the overwhelming interest shown by potential applicants across the continent throughout this recruitment phase. We hope the deadline extension will allow all interested applicants, especially those from new markets such as Senegal, adequate time to prepare and apply to be part of the next cohort of aspiring technology entrepreneurs starting in August this year,” said Emily Fiagbedzi, Director of Training Program at MEST Africa.

The Application Process:

  • Complete Pre-learning courses
  • Take an aptitude test
  • Fill and submit the MEST Training Program application form
  • Interviews
  • Offer

Successful applicants of the one-year fully-sponsored program will gain access to world-class education in software development, business and communication skills from MEST’s campus in Accra, Ghana. At the end of the year-long program, all the Entrepreneurs-in-training form teams, and startups and pitch their business idea for up to $100,000 in seed funding, business incubation, and a lifetime of support from MEST Africa’s global community of experts and founders.

Over 800 tech entrepreneurs and experts have been trained through this program since 2008 and we have invested in over 80 tech startups. We have also produced some of the finest startups transforming sectors and scaling across the continent such as meQasa, Complete Farmer, Kudobuzz and CodeLn among others.

Apply here.

Applications are now open for MEST Africa’s 12-month Training Program, Class of 2023

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We are inviting every young aspiring tech entrepreneur in Africa, to apply for our 12-month technology and entrepreneurship Training Program. With our Class of 2022 in full session, we are thrilled to get back in the groove of recruitment and officially open up applications for the Class of 2023.

Successful applicants will gain access to world-class education in software development, business and communication skills from MEST’s campus in Accra, Ghana. Training is done along with mentorship and networking sessions with leading industry experts and business executives from all over the world. At the end of the year-long program, all the Entrepreneurs-in-training form startups with co-founders within their cohort and pitch their business idea for up to $100,000 in seed funding, business incubation, and a lifetime of support from MEST Africa’s global community of experts and founders.

Every year we receive more than 4000 applications from across the continent. After a long and rigorous recruitment process, only the top 60 most talented applicants are invited to be a part of our training program. We’ve trained over 800 tech entrepreneurs and experts and invested in over 80 startups. We’ve produced some of the finest startups transforming sectors and scaling across the continent such as meQasa, Complete Farmer, Kudobuzz and CodeLn among others.

“We are thrilled to open applications for our 12-month Training Program to every aspiring tech entrepreneur on the continent again as more countries open up their borders again and as the world adapts to the new normal. We look forward to identifying and welcoming a diverse group of young and ambitious people into our program to start their entrepreneurial journeys by August 2022,” said Emily  Fiagbedzi, the Director of Training Program at MEST Africa.

Here are some important dates for applicants to note:

  • Application Deadline: 20th April 2022
  • Final Interviews: May 2022 in Accra, Lagos, Dakkar, Nairobi, and Johannesburg
  • Training Program beings August 2022 in Accra

The application process:

  1. Complete Pre-learning courses
  2. Take an aptitude test
  3. Fill and submit the MEST Training Program application form
  4. Interviews with our recruitment team
  5. Offer

Apply here by 20th April 2022.

Welcome, MEST Class of 2022!

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The much-awaited Class of 2022 begin their entrepreneurship journey at MEST this week.

Since 2008, we’ve been obsessed with finding the most ambitious and talented individuals from across Africa to come to MEST. Our mission remains unchanged — to create wealth and jobs in Africa. Every year we receive more than 4000 applications from across the continent. After a long and rigorous recruitment process, only the top 60 most talented applicants are invited to be a part of our training program that is focused on supporting the next generation of software entrepreneurs.

And then, COVID-19 happened.

For the first time since inception, we had to make the tough decision to delay our cohort of EITs (Entrepreneurs-in-training) by a year. Our priority was the health and safety of our community, and due to the increasing uncertainty around COVID-19, we felt it was the right decision to take.

It was not easy, but we knew it had to be done as we navigated life through a global pandemic. We took the year to focus our efforts on growing and supporting our existing portfolio companies on the incubator side and establishing our partnership with the Mastercard Foundation where we designed and launched multiple programs to enable young people in Ghana to access dignified and fulfilling work through skills, technology & entrepreneurship.

Before we knew it, 2022 came around!

It is an absolute pleasure to welcome the Class of 2022 to the MEST Training Program this week! Our campus has genuinely missed the hustle and bustle of early morning classes, late-night coding sessions, capstone pitches, guest lectures, weekend ‘azonto’ parties, Chef Felicia’s delicious ‘kelewele’ for lunch, and ALL the high octane energy our EITs bring to East Legon every year!

This year, we are excited to train and develop 53 EITs from multiple nationalities across Africa to become the next generation of software entrepreneurs. Over the next 8 months, the days are going to be longer, the training is going to be intense, the dorm rooms are going to be buzzing 24/7 and the EITs are going to deep dive into a life-changing adventure!

Follow our EITs journey through our Training Program this year. We will keep you posted on who they are, what they’re working on, and how their year turns out at the end.

Watch them get accepted into the program…

Follow their journeys across all our blogs and social channels: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube #LifeAtMEST

Interested in being a part of the Class of 2023 at MEST? Learn more here. We will keep you posted when applications open.

 

Our 2021 in Perspective

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After thriving through the uncertain times of 2020, 2021 set us on a path to achieve greater heights. The year marked a time of realignment and deepening of our commitment to the African technology and startup ecosystem. We acknowledge and appreciate all our partners who continued on this journey with us and are grateful for the remarkable work that our various units and teams at MEST did to achieve the many milestones of this year.

Notable among them was the reopening and extension of applications for the 2022 Training Program. Regardless of the delays and the extension of the application process which saw over a thousand people apply from Ghana and Nigeria, we are excited to welcome 53 outstanding individuals into the 2022 MEST Africa Training Program.

Other flagship programs like the MEST Africa Challenge and MEST Africa Summit were also put on hold this year due to the pandemic. But this made way for us to engage and support even more entrepreneurs across the continent while continuing to support the growth of our portfolio companies.

Our portfolio companies have shown a lot of resilience and keep innovating throughout these uncertain times. We are very proud of all they have achieved this year and send a special shoutout to the following companies who achieved some major successes this year:

Complete Farmer, Leti Arts, Kweza, Tendo, Judy, BezoMoney, Shopa and Wiflix

The growth of our portfolio companies has also been supported by our amazing partners.

Other significant highlights for this year include:

  • We continued to work and impact the ecosystem alongside partners such as Mastercard Foundation, UNICEF, GIZ, IFC, The European Union, Care International, Africa Development Bank, SANAD and Danida.
  • We launched MEST Scale, a venture accelerator focused on enabling SMEs in Ghana to scale.
  • In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and leading innovation hubs in Ghana, we’ve expanded our program reach to Wa, Tamale, Takoradi, Kumasi, Bolgatanga, Cape Coast and Ho
  • We had the opportunity to work alongside some ecosystem players on the Digilogic Africa, Smart Cities Innovation Programme, AFDB Business Development Services, and WeGrow Hackathon projects.
  • We partnered with the French Chamber of Commerce Ghana to bring together innovative startups and leading corporate organizations to foster more corporate-startup partnerships.
  • Our impact in the ecosystem led to a feature on CNN as one of the organizations contributing to Ghana’s rising tech scene.
  • As a result of all the work, we have also welcomed a cohort of new entrepreneurs into our community for a lifetime of growth, support, and access.

As was earlier announced, I will be transitioning from the Managing Director position to become a Portfolio Advisor at MEST while I pursue a new fintech company. My 6+ years at MEST have been truly rewarding and have also influenced these next steps in my growth journey. I look forward to continuing to support our founder Jorn Lyseggen, the rest of the leadership team, and our entrepreneurs.

For the team at MEST who bring it all to life, one thing has stayed true; the passion to strive for and achieve the highest possible standards together. I appreciate you all.

Enjoy this holiday special from the MEST family. Happy holidays!

– Ashwin Ravichandran(Outgoing Managing Director, MEST Africa)

Founder Jorn Lyseggen becomes new MD of MEST as Ashwin Ravichandran pursues fintech startup

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Dear Community,

MEST’s founder, Jorn Lyseggen, will be taking over as Managing Director of MEST as current MD, Ashwin Ravichandran, goes on to pursue a fintech startup.

Ashwin will continue to be a part of the MEST family, in a new capacity as Portfolio Advisor on a part-time basis while supporting our founder transition to the Managing Director role.

Ashwin joined MEST in 2015 as a Technology Teaching Fellow and has since served in various capacities such as Incubator Manager, Director of Portfolio Support, Country Director of Ghana. He became the Managing Director in 2019 where he oversaw MEST’s flagship Training Program, the growth and the successful development of MEST portfolio companies while establishing MEST’s influence in the ecosystem through partnerships, ecosystem engagements, and thought leadership.

Thank you to Ashwin for everything you have led us to achieve! We are excited about what the future holds for our ongoing relationship in a part-time capacity. We wish you and your startup the best of luck!

 

Ashwin over the years at MEST Africa:

How Ghana’s rising tech scene is getting even bigger (CNN Features MEST Africa & Meqasa)

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Global media network, CNN, has featured MEST Africa as one of the organizations contributing to Ghana’s rising tech scene alongside other tech companies like Uber, Google, and MEST portfolio company, Meqasa. Watch the latest Marketplace Africa feature to see how MEST is nurturing local talents, funding viable local startups, and contributing to making Ghana one of Africa’s major tech hubs.

 

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2021/10/15/marketplace-africa-ghana-tech-google-uber-meqasa-spc.cnn/video/playlists/marketplace-africa-pre-roll/

 

Five MEST portfolio and alumni companies receive investment from Google’s Black Founders Fund

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ACCRA, Ghana —  Five MEST Africa portfolio and alumni companies — Tendo, Shopa, GrowForMe, Curacel and Chekkit — have been named among 50 startups who will be receiving investment and support from Google’s Black Founders Fund.

The companies will be receiving up to $100,000 in funds, mentorship from Google experts, and Google platform credits as part of the investment.

The five selected MEST-affiliated companies are some of the most promising technology startups whose solutions are transforming retail, e-commerce, agriculture, insurance and e-health across the continent.

Tendo, one of MEST’s portfolio companies, enables social media users to sell online without investing any capital. The app allows resellers to browse through catalogues of products and gets as much information as possible. Resellers can then add their profit margins to the product and share on social media.

Shopa, another MEST portfolio company is a B2B e-commerce business that is digitising the informal retail supply chain in Ghana and beyond by connecting informal retailers to products and suppliers faster and ensuring better profits.

Chekkit is a blockchain technology company saving lives by protecting producers and shoppers from the harmful effects of counterfeit products. It was founded in 2018 by MEST alumnus Dare Odumade to offer consumer intelligence, anti-counterfeiting and provide manufacturers with a way to engage their consumers directly.

Curacel was founded by MEST alumnus Henry Mascot. It is an AI-powered platform that enables insurers to automate claims seamlessly and also track fraud, waste and abuse.

Grow For Me is a web based Agricultural crowdfunding platform that funds farmers to scale and grow more crops, using the income received from interested sponsors. The unique model is creating wealth and contributing to food stability particularly in the rural communities where mass urban migration is having a detrimental impact on the agricultural food chain. Grow for me was founded by MEST Africa alumnus Nana Opoku W. O. Agyeman-Prempeh.

The Black Founders Fund is a program by Google Startups which is supporting early-stage Black-founded startups on the African continent. It seeks to bridge the existing fundraising gap for Black startup founders in Africa’s fast-growing technology landscape. The program will allocate a non-dilutive $3 million fund across 50 investable startups in Africa. The startups also receive Google Ad Grants and Cloud credits, as well as support from experienced experts at Google.

MEST is an Africa-wide technology entrepreneurship training program, internal seed fund, and network of hubs offering incubation for technology startups in Africa. Our internal seed fund provides $50k to $250k in funding to help launch and scale early-stage companies. Since 2008, MEST has funded and provided incubation for over 80 technology startups that are focused on creating wealth and jobs on the continent.