Cascador Opens 2026 ScaleUp Applications For Africa's Growth-Stage Founders

Cascador, a Lagos-based founder development organisation, is accepting applications for its 2026 ScaleUp programme — a 12-week initiative targeting growth-stage entrepreneurs across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa who are ready to sharpen their leadership and make a credible case for significant capital.

The deadline is June 15, with the cohort set to begin in mid-August.

What the Programme Offers

Founded in 2019, Cascador has built a quiet but credible track record. The 70 founders it has supported through previous cohorts have collectively raised more than $125 million and, in 2025 alone, created close to 67,000 jobs — a figure that speaks to the kind of ventures the organisation targets.

The 2026 cohort will be limited to 12 founders. Selected participants receive access to one-on-one guidance from investors and sector experts, a $5,000 personal development stipend, and full coverage of travel and accommodation for in-person sessions. The programme runs in a hybrid format, with an in-person kickoff in Lagos at the end of August and a final intensive in November, punctuated by weekly virtual sessions in between.

Beyond the curriculum, programme graduates become eligible to apply for Cascador’s Catalytic Fund — a mechanism launched in May 2025, in partnership with Sterling Bank, that deploys between $2 million and $5 million annually in a mix of debt, equity, and guarantee instruments. The programme culminates in a pitch day where funding decisions are made.

Who Can Apply

Cascador is deliberate about the profile it is looking for. Eligible founders must have been operating for at least two years, generating a minimum of $70,000 — or approximately ?100 million — in annual revenue, and be based in Nigeria or another Sub-Saharan African country. The emphasis is on businesses that already have proven market traction and the organisational capacity to absorb and deploy growth capital responsibly.

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Trish Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Cascador, said in a statement that the organisation views growth-stage founders as multipliers — entrepreneurs whose companies, if properly supported, create outsized benefits for communities and broader markets. The programme, she noted, is designed specifically for ventures at the threshold of that kind of scale.

The Opportunity for Nigerian Founders

That Cascador is headquartered in Lagos and runs its in-person sessions there is not incidental. Nigeria’s startup ecosystem remains one of the most active on the continent, yet the gap between early traction and sustainable scale is a persistent challenge for founders navigating constrained access to patient capital and limited institutional support.

Cascador’s model addresses that gap with some directness — pairing structured leadership development with a credible, if modest, funding pathway. For founders who meet the eligibility threshold, it represents a structured on-ramp to both growth capital and a network of experienced operators.

Founders who apply early are offered an additional incentive: advance notification of their application status and potential access to an exclusive Pitch Day scheduled for June 3rd, ahead of the main programme.

Applications close June 15. The Cascador website carries full eligibility requirements and the preliminary application form.