Jobtech Alliance Unveils Startup Accelerator Programmes to Enhance Standard of Living in Africa

The Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator and the Jobtech Innovation Lab are two new initiatives from the Jobtech Alliance, an ecosystem-building initiative around inclusive jobtech in Africa led by Mercy Corps and BFA Global.

These initiatives are intended to support digital platforms that link people to employment opportunities that help them build livelihoods.

The Jobtech Alliance, a collaboration between Mercy Corps and BFA Global, strives to foster an environment where entrepreneurs may establish platforms that provide users with respectable employment opportunities, are inclusive, and provide quality livelihoods.

The Catalyst Job Accelerator will host two cohorts of four early-stage innovators developing inexpensive, appropriate, and accessible jobtech solutions that connect young people to work, building on the knowledge gained from BFA Global’s Catalyst Fund concept.

The Catalyst Job Accelerator will concentrate on inventions that have the potential to spread and significantly boost employment and income, and it will provide funding that will have a significant influence on the team’s capacity to test and refine their product. Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sudan, or South Sudan should be the startup’s target market or base of operations.

According to Michelle Hassan, Kenya country manager at BFA Global, “We’re starting to shift the narrative around the future of work and what can be done by creating an ecosystem where entrepreneurs have access to information and networks that can help develop their firms.”

The Jobtech Innovation Lab collaborates with jobtech platforms on specific sprints that could increase the scope, significance, or user inclusivity of the platforms. In order to better deliver services, reach new markets, or reduce barriers to access for marginalized people, this could entail producing new products or services; improving products, operations, or marketing; and promoting market expansion, particularly towards underserved markets.

There are numerous excellent potential for jobtech platforms to expand their reach, influence, and inclusion throughout the continent, but there is not enough time, money, or capacity to take advantage of these opportunities. Chris Maclay, director of the Mercy Corps Jobtech Alliance program, stated, “We’re eager to partner with these platforms to advance their business goals and enhance results for their platform users.

Every one of the chosen businesses will get funding, specialized venture-building assistance, and the chance to collaborate directly with the BFA Global and Mercy Corps teams, business leaders, mentors, and ecosystem partners to scale their impact. Visit the websites for the Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator and Jobtech Innovation Lab to submit an application.