While we are bidding a farewell to a rollercoaster 2021 and welcoming the fresh 2022, we are getting ready to continue the grind on an amazing journey with all WiP Partners! Looking back on 2021’s high notes is a great way to end the year and start our first steps in 2022.
What a year it was! From beating Covid-19 challenges to achieving higher ranks in investment volumes from major deal flows in Africa. Taking a look at the chart below, you can see how the growth of African start-ups is accelerating in 2021. And this certainly goes for start-ups in Nigeria, Egypt and Somaliland. Want to better understand how this is also leading to more jobs for youth, check out VC4A’s latest publication on this for Work in Progress here!
What we have accomplished together!
Here are some picks of what happened across Egypt, Nigeria and Somalia through work in progress activities.
? Green Superstar Impact SMEs Competition 2021 — Check the winners here (Egypt, Nigeria & Somalia)
? 80 Youths in Nasarawa Benefit From Employability Training by POISE — More about the program (Nigeria)
? She Leads Africa High Growth Coaching Program 2021 — Check program startups here (Nigeria)
? 2021 Innovate Accelerator Program by Innovate Ventures (Somalia)
? Women Business Accelerator Program by Innovate Ventures (Somalia)
? Nordic Horn of Africa Opportunities Fund by Shuraako (Somalia)
? Environmental Sustainability Competition by Ahead of the Curve (Egypt)
? ILED Accelerator Program for Socio-Economic Empowerment of Youth by Shaqodoon (Somalia)
? Wellbeing and Growth Mindsets by Ahead of the Curve (Egypt)
? Ladies Startup League by IceAlex — Success stories of the program (Egypt)
The Mentor-Driven Capital program rockstars
VC4A’s ‘Mentor-Driven Capital’ program boosts mentors’ abilities to support promising entrepreneurs, guiding them to achieve their business goals while achieving startup milestones and success. The Mentor-Driven Capital program completed three cycles in 2021 with amazing companies that shined through Egypt, Nigeria and Somalia
Here’s a snapshot of the portfolio:
Limited income segment are deprived of smart education tools due to poor infrastructure & limited budget
Credit card users in MENA region fall in the debt cycle fast and easy, this is due to financial illiteracy, lack of information and misconceptions around the Credit Cards.
Samia Consulting Firm is one of the fastest growing business, management-consulting organization offering strategic success solutions to organizations of all nature and size
Impeesa Digital Academy is building a community & network of business owners & startup entrepreneurs in western & sub-saharan Africa
DriveMe is a one-stop platform for fleet operations that includes driver pairing, management and driver education.
Johar online Academy facilitates online secondary courses through mobile app and websites along with advanced and cheap subjects
An aviation academy business is such a positive business to be involved in. All the customers that will come to Aweli aviation to learn to fly are ‘can do’ people
A fashion and art brand founded on building women self identity through Fashion and skill training
Ready for 2022?
2022 will bring another year of WiP! Alliance activities to boost the supply and demand side of the youth labor market in all three countries! Here is a snapshot of activities of partners across the program:
In Nigeria, the Poise Career Kickstart program will target 300 unemployed youth with basic entrepreneurship training, future of work and 21st century soft skills.
- Butterfly Works will further develop, test and implement new modules of Digital Labs (also in Somaliland), a course focusing on building digital skills and knowledge of teachers and students in TVETs and Enterprise Development Centers.
- More in store for Nigeria, in 2022, She Leads Africa (SLA) will solidify its successful online High Growth Coaching Program exclusively for women-led enterprises.
In Somaliland,
- Shaqodoon will deliver digital skills training via The HargaBits digital design academy, targeting at least 86 underprivileged youths from informal settlements in Hargeisa.
- Innovate Ventures will support 15 early-stage tech startups to promote youth innovation and entrepreneurship.
Finally, in Egypt,
- Icealex will provide technical support and full-fledged incubation programs for promising startups mainly in Greater Alexandria and Delta Region covering the early stage of the business innovation process.
- And Ahead of The Curve (ATC) will continue to roll out its to conduct all SME support under the Thrive Program.
And there is so much more. Too much to mention. So don’t forget to keep an eye out on our Work in Progress community page to stay updated!
