The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator supports digital commerce companies that are building solutions designed to improve the livelihoods and financial resilience of micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
Boost and Kudigo were the first cohort to graduate from the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator managed by BFA Global.
The program is also supported by Mastercard Foundation, and executed in partnership with MEST in Ghana
Selection procedure
Companies selected for the Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator are identified via quantitative and qualitative sourcing research, to determine existing ecosystem gaps and challenges faced by MSMEs.
Companies are then vetted by an Investment Advisory Committee composed of experienced emerging markets investors and experts in the digital commerce space in the Ghanaian and wider African market.
Investment Criteria
Companies that meet the following criteria will be evaluated for selection:
Inclusivity
Preference for companies with current or proven desire to serve informal MSEs
Proven traction
The company has already raised a minimum of $100K from investors or is revenue positive, and serving at least 500 customers.
Stage-fit
The company has a product in the market and is in the scaling stage
Minimum runway
The company has 6-12 months of runway
Geography
The company is Ghana-based (or entering the Ghanaian market)
Product type
The company is offering solutions across the digital commerce value chain
Youth focus
The company primarily serves informal MSEs and workers between the ages of 18-35
Scale potential
The company can contribute to the goal of reaching 25,000 additional MSEs within 2 years
How to apply
Interested entrepreneurs in Ghana can go ahead to apply here. The deadline for application is Tuesday, June 22, 2021.
NB: You can also register here to learn about MEST
About the program
In Ghana, existing digital commerce solutions tend to exclude informal micro and small enterprises (MSEs), who have been hardest hit by the impact of the COVID-19 economic crisis.
As a result, they are unable to leverage digital commerce opportunities to fuel their growth and secure their incomes.
The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator scales innovative companies that can enable informal MSEs in Ghana to reap the benefits of digital commerce solutions, with a goal of spurring the development of the wider ecosystem.
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