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The Land Accelerator
The Land Accelerator

Land Accelerator Africa

 

In 2018, World Resources Institute (WRI) and Fledge launched the Land Accelerator Africa to support the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).  In Africa, the program is implemented in close collaboration with the AFR100 secretariat, AUDA-NEPAD and Barka. Land Accelerator is the world’s first training and mentorship program targeted specifically toward businesses that restore degraded forests, farmland and pasture. It equips entrepreneurs with knowledge and skills to tackle the issue of land degradation by building economically-viable, sustainable businesses that safeguard our planet and provide livelihoods for millions of people.

 

 

To support the AFR100 Initiative’s goal of restoring 100 million hectares of land by 2030, the Land Accelerator provides entrepreneurs across Africa with mentorship and networking opportunities, technical training and workshops to build up their storytelling and pitching skills.

 

Participants leave the program more empowered to connect with potential investors so that they can take their restoration business to the next stage of growth. The program has attracted nearly 3,400 applicants in Africa since 2018, and its 293 alumni from 45 countries report that they have created over 9,000 jobs, worked with 250,000 farmers and restored 201,000 hectares.

Samuel Kabiru
Samuel Kabiru,
Manager, The Land Accelerator, WRI Africa

Past Cohorts

The 2023 Land Accelerator Africa | Virtual and in Lilongwe, Malawi | October 2023

Malawi_2023_cohort

This Land Accelerator Africa cohort had 97 restoration companies complete the accelerator training. The selected Top 16 entrepreneurs gathered for workshops, networking, and a Demo Day in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The 2022 Land Accelerator Africa | Hybrid and Kigali, Rwanda | October 2022

Participants energizing

Demand for the second phase of Land Accelerator Africa was very high. That phase kicked off on April 26, with more than 1,400 applications from 41 African countries. The 100 selected entrepreneurs completed a rigorous three-month online training and mentorship program. Among those, the top 16 companies were selected and benefited from one-on-one technical support and hosted for in-person Impact Days in Kigali, Rwanda. The event culminated with a Demo Day, where the entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a room of investors. Learn more about the 2022 Land Accelerator Cohort here and watch the Land Accelerator Africa 2022 Demo Day recording here.

The 2021 Land Accelerator Africa | Virtual and Nairobi, Kenya | November 2021
Land Accelerator 2021

 

The Land Accelerator Africa worked with 78 local businesses from 27 countries for its third cohort. Each entrepreneur received a $5,000 innovation grant, and the top 15 presented their businesses to a virtual room of investors. They also came together in Nairobi for a week-long training. Watch them pitch!

The 2019 Land Accelerator Africa | Nairobi, Kenya | September 2019
Land Accelerator 2019

 

Out of the 335 businesses that applied to the 2019 Land Accelerator, 14 entrepreneurs from 8 African countries joined us in Nairobi. After a week of training from investors, alumni, and technical experts, they pitched to a room full of investors and entrepreneurs. Watch their pitches here!

Land Accelerator Niger | Niamey, Niger | March 2019

Land Accelerator 2019_Niger

 

WRI convened 11 Nigerien restoration entrepreneurs to accelerate investment in the country’s promising agriculture sector. Over this two-day workshop, the participants learned how to integrate resilience to climate change into their business models and present their companies to impact investors.

The 2018 Land Accelerator Africa | Nairobi, Kenya | December 2018
Land Accelerator 2018_Kenya

 

The first Land Accelerator brought together 12 restoration entrepreneurs from across Africa to Nairobi to learn how to scale up their businesses. Some have already seen success: One business raised $100,000 and received several large orders, while another won a $10,000 cash prize for its pitch. Learn more here.

Visit the Land Accelerator 2024 Help Center to learn more about this year’s program and apply.

Partners

The 2024 Land Accelerator Africa is supported by funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Land Accelerator Landscapes delivers capacity to the restoration companies in support of the Restore Local project and its target landscapes.

The DOEN Foundation provided the anchor funding for the first Land Accelerator Africa held in 2018, which allowed the program to develop ever since.

LA PartnersLandscapes partners logo

 

Samuel Kabiru

Samuel Kabiru Manager, Land Accelerator, WRI Africa