Nine opportunities with African eligibility are closing between October 10 and 17, 2025, spanning retail innovation, creative industries, fintech acceleration, deeptech, and investment summits. The programs include incubators, accelerators, challenges, and events targeting startups and innovators across the continent.
Orange Corners Designs South Africa Incubation Program
Organized by the Craft and Design Institute (CDI) in partnership with Orange Corners, this 10–12 month program supports young entrepreneurs in South Africa’s creative, digital, and circular economy sectors. Participants gain access to training, mentoring, maker spaces, and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund. The initiative targets pre-seed and seed ventures led by entrepreneurs aged 18–35. Deadline: October 10, 2025.
Moroccan Retail Tech Builder – START
The Moroccan Retail Tech Builder – START program offers a four-month incubation track for early-stage retail and trade technology startups in Morocco. Participants receive mentorship, access to investors, and structured checkpoints to refine their products and market strategy. Delivered at UM6P campuses in Benguerir and Rabat, the initiative targets teams with MVPs or prototypes in retail tech. Applications close on October 10, 2025.
Music Business Accelerator – E-Learning Course
The Music Business Accelerator, run by Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA), provides an online e-learning program for emerging music entrepreneurs in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Participants explore music publishing, digital distribution, live events, and entrepreneurship within the creative economy. Applications close on October 12, 2025.
Western Cape Investment Summit 2025
The Western Cape Investment Summit 2025, hosted by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, convenes investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to explore opportunities in technology, sustainability, manufacturing, tourism, and finance. Scheduled for November 5–7, 2025, at the Cape Town ICC, it positions the province as a continental investment hub. Deadline: October 13, 2025.
2026 FinTech Challenge Program
The MassChallenge 2026 FinTech Challenge connects pilot-ready startups with major corporates in financial services and insurance to co-develop and scale solutions. Open globally with African eligibility, it targets startups in fintech, insurtech, regtech, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, and wealthtech at the seed to Series B stage. Applications close on October 14, 2025.
MOONSHOT Conference 2025
TechCabal’s MOONSHOT Conference 2025 returns to Lagos on October 15–16, uniting founders, investors, corporates, and policymakers shaping Africa’s technology landscape. The event features 4,000+ attendees, 100+ speakers, and nine thematic tracks including CleanTech, Creative Economy, and Future of Commerce. Registration deadline: October 15, 2025.
Grow Program
The Grow Program, developed by Open Startup International with partners including AfricaGrow and BPI France, is a 12-month pan-African accelerator enhancing investment readiness for seed-stage startups. Open to all sectors, it provides mentorship, VC matchmaking, fellowships, and international exposure. Deadline: October 15, 2025.
BRAIN Accelerator 5.0
Run by Open Startup International, the BRAIN Accelerator is a one-year hybrid program for DeepTech startups in climate and health. It combines mentorship, global exposure, and investor readiness training, connecting African founders with partners from MIT, Ecole Polytechnique, and AfricInvest. Applications close on October 16, 2025.
Alchemist Accelerator
The Alchemist Accelerator is a global B2B accelerator helping technical founders build enterprise-focused ventures. It offers mentorship, funding, and go-to-market support for startups monetizing through businesses. The program targets pre-seed and seed-stage founders, including African startups. Application deadline: October 17, 2025.
These nine programs represent a diverse set of opportunities—from retail innovation in Morocco to fintech pilots and pan-African deeptech accelerators. Founders across sectors should consider applying before the listed deadlines to secure access to global networks, mentorship, and investor exposure.