Funding & Accelerators

MEST has an internal seed fund and incubation for startups who successfully pitch to our board of experienced investors. The internal seed fund gives investement of $50k-$250k in funding to help launch and scale early stage companies. In addition to funding, MEST offers 18 to 24-month incubation at the MEST hubs and access to MEST’s Africa-wide tech community..

Africa-wide MEST Network

MEST provides seed funding and a space in our African-wide wide network, to foster the growth and success of our graduated entrepreneurs. The MEST supports through advisory and provides working space, hands-on support, resources and a vibrant community to help our portfolio companies succeed. Its inception was driven in part by the limited access to seed stage capital and to mentorship opportunities with seasoned entrepreneurs for software startups on the continent.

The expanding MEST network will offer entrepreneurs looking to grow their market across the continent with resources and connections in several major African cities. To date, MEST has invested in over 60 startups across industries from SaaS and consumer internet, to eCommerce, Digital Media, Agritech, Fintech and Healthcare IT.

A Startup’s Journey

Once a startup receives MEST Seed Funding and enters incubation, the MEST Hubs offer hands-on support to bring early stage startups from launch to scale. Here’s a look at a typical journey for an startup in the MEST incubator:

Month 0-6
Months 7-18
Months 7-18
Onboarding, product development deep dive, legal training
Sales accelerator, growth strategy, implementing customer feedback
Sales accelerator, growth strategy, implementing customer feedback
Market traction, marketing strategy
Hiring + growth, product iteration, investor readiness
Hiring + growth, product iteration, investor readiness
Developing sales pipeline; beta launch
Preparing for success: we work with companies on achieving next round of funding or exit, leveraging investor and ecosystem partners
Preparing for success: we work with companies on achieving next round of funding or exit, leveraging investor and ecosystem partners
Bespoke accelerators focused on elements including product and sales, are offered to portfolio companies specific to company needs

Month 0-6
Onboarding, product development deep dive, legal training
Onboarding, product development deep dive, legal training
Market traction, marketing strategy
Developing sales pipeline; beta launch
Developing sales pipeline; beta launch
Bespoke accelerators focused on elements including product and sales, are offered to portfolio companies specific to company needs
Months 7-18
Months 7-18
Sales accelerator, growth strategy, implementing customer feedback
Hiring + growth, product iteration, investor readiness
Hiring + growth, product iteration, investor readiness
Preparing for success: we work with companies on achieving next round of funding or exit, leveraging investor and ecosystem partners