Facebook Accelerator Nigeria is the first deeptech accelerator in West Africa. Run in collaboration with Co-Creation Hub, it has accelerated twenty-six companies since it launched in 2018. The program is sector-agnostic, but to be accepted, teams must use some element of deeptech or advanced technology. “We want to help them make great products that solve great problems,” says Francis Sani, accelerator program manager at Co-Creation Hub.

The program is open to founders from Nigeria and Ghana and accepts two types of companies: those with a product and initial traction in the market, and exceptional university students developing high-fidelity prototypes. Students receive $10,000 equity-free funding for product development, while full-time founders receive $20,000 equity-free funding for marketing and commercialization. The first month of the six-month program is spent identifying and understanding the problem the company is trying to solve and refining the value proposition by interacting with customers. The following months are focused on product development and design and commercialization. Founders participate in workshops led by local experts that cover topics such as product development, legal issues and HR. Halfway through the program, representatives from corporations join the teams for a commercial showcase. “Startups have gotten enterprise customers from this showcase,” says Francis. Additionally, companies are paired with a dedicated Facebook mentor and industry advisers from the Co-Creation Hub network. The program culminates in a demo day where founders pitch on stage and a deal week that includes meetings with both investors and corporate leaders.

Facebook Accelerator Nigeria is well-situated to provide founders with support strategies and perks. Accepted startups get a dedicated spot at NG_Hub, Facebook’s coworking and developer space in the tech-focused Yaba neighborhood, as well as Amazon Web Services and Facebook ad credits. Founders are invited to Facebook developer circles and also have access to Facebook events and conferences.

Solve a real problem.
We’re looking for technological solutions that are rooted in real problems.

Leverage advanced technologies.
We work with startups who use AI, IoT, data science, augmented reality or virtual reality to scale their businesses.

Have a unique solution.
There should be something that makes you different from your competition and we want you to be able to explain what it is.

Have big ambitions.
We’re looking for startups who are on an exponential-growth trajectory.

Hire a diverse team. 
We’re looking for a blend of different experiences and backgrounds, as well as evidence of your ability to execute on your vision as a team. 

Have a large market opportunity.
Your product should be positioned in a solid market and your market opportunity should be a large percentage of that market.

startups@cchubnigeria.com