Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Max Kelly

Managing Director of Techstars London

Lesa Mitchell

Managing Director

Vijay Tirathrai

Managing Director

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Nigeria

Fez

Seed Round in 2023
Fez is a logistics platform focused on providing hassle-free delivery services to customers. The company offers an application that facilitates last-mile delivery within urban areas, allowing users to book deliveries, manage their wallets, and track their orders. By enabling the movement of goods from any point in the country, Fez aims to deliver affordable, fast, and efficient delivery solutions. The company is committed to ensuring a stress-free experience for both senders and recipients, emphasizing their duty to deliver packages with care and reliability.

peppa

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Pepperest, a financial technology company, is changing the the face of peer-to-peer commerce, by providing small-midsize merchants the tools to improve sales and conversions by leveraging the power of social and escrow. We do this through our revolutionary tool-set which helps convert any merchant business page on leading social platforms to a fully-fledged store able to process payments and offer buyer protection. By ensuring buyers are protected, businesses immediately attain a higher level of credibility and greater prospects of sales.

Oystr Finance Inc

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Oystr finance is a Saas company democratising credit in Africa by providing institutional lenders with an infrastructure that enables them to launch low-risk micro-loan products, grow their portfolio and expand into new markets in less than 30 minutes.

Capsa Technology

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Capsa Technology is a fintech company focused on streamlining and bridging the financial woes of SMEs in Africa - starting in Nigeria

Rent Small Small

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Rent Small Small Ltd. is a prop-tech platform providing a unique rental solution to Nigerians in order to improve home-seekers rental experience and increase home-owners occupancy rate. Our business model is unique as it allows verified tenants to find property on-the-go, stay within budget, and pay rent flexibly. We provide first of its kind rent insurance for property owners against rent default, and unlike traditional agents, we don’t charge agency and legal fee. Our mandate is to provide suitable and affordable homes for home-seekers, influence the conception and birth of new homes to boost the livelihood and productivity of Nigerian youths, and help homeowners to make their property rentable and profitable.

MyCover.ai

Pre Seed Round in 2022
MyCover.ai is an open insurance API that allows insurance companies to distribute their products faster and cheaper, it enables innovators to embed insurance into their current offerings or launch new insurance verticals and ultimately deliver great experiences to customers. Our AI-powered claims management service helps insurance companies to streamline their claims processes, reduce fraud while also saving time and money.

Remote Gravity

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Remote Gravity is a provider for physical address verification. They train and test agents to provide a service that meets the standards that KYC providers are expected to deliver to their customers. They deliver reports that meet SLA requirements and ensure KYC for companies. regardless of budget and location, enabling agencies and brands to purchase outdoor advertisement placements.

Gigmile

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Gigmile provides financial services. They provide gig workers with core services and an affordable lease on productive assets that is tailored to their earnings to enable them to succeed in the mobility industry as entrepreneurs.

Healthtracka

Seed Round in 2021
Healthtracka is a digital health platform that allows consumer direct access to lab tests bookings, at-home sample collection and digital results in 1-3days

MDaaS Global

Seed Round in 2021
MDaaS Global Corp. owns and operates diagnostic centers in clinically-underserved communities in Africa. Its diagnostic centers offer radiology, cardiology, and lab services. The company also offers SentinelX, that enables patients to track their health over time and easily access primary care both in-person and virtually. The company also retails, leases, installs, and maintains medical equipment for hospitals. It caters to the healthcare industry. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Lagos, Nigeria with an additional office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

TalentQL

Pre Seed Round in 2021
TalentQL hires, develops, and manages remote talent for companies globally. Its services include talent outsourcing, talent pipeline creation, and remote workforce management. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

TalentQL

Pre Seed Round in 2021
TalentQL hires, develops, and manages remote talent for companies globally. Its services include talent outsourcing, talent pipeline creation, and remote workforce management. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Treepz

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Plentywaka is a premium public mass transit app that allows commuters to request pickups from their desired bus stops and get real-time information about their journey. Users can plan their journey through the app, get live updates of their buses and ride in safe, convenient and efficient a/c buses across different cities in Nigeria without having to worry about surge pricing.

Rise Vest Technologies

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Unlocking Foreign Investment Opportunities For Africans We’re a technology-driven finance company connecting everyday Africans with the best dollar-denominated investment opportunities around the world.

Fliqpay

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Fliqpay develops a cross-border cryptocurrency based payment gateway platform for financial transactions. The company develops an online payment platform, Fliqpay, which enables businesses in Africa to receive bitcoin payment settlements through online mode in local currency. It also provides dashboard, refund management, application programming interface (API), integration, invoice, and settlement services. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Versus Africa

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Versus is a tool that combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insight for the African market. Working with global clients both within Africa and beyond, we seek to help brands have a better understanding of the African consumer.

Wella Health

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Wellahealth is a startup that has developed a digital triage bot that provides guidance based on Nigeria Centre for Disease Control guidelines and logs responses for follow up by public health as needed.

MDaaS Global

Seed Round in 2019
MDaaS Global Corp. owns and operates diagnostic centers in clinically-underserved communities in Africa. Its diagnostic centers offer radiology, cardiology, and lab services. The company also offers SentinelX, that enables patients to track their health over time and easily access primary care both in-person and virtually. The company also retails, leases, installs, and maintains medical equipment for hospitals. It caters to the healthcare industry. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Lagos, Nigeria with an additional office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Farmcrowdy

Seed Round in 2019
Farmcrowdy is an agric-tech platform that gives Nigerians the opportunity to participate in Agriculture by selecting the kind of farms they want to sponsor. They use the sponsor’s funds to secure the land, engage the farmer, plant the seeds, insure the farmers and farm produce, complete the full farming cycle, sell the harvest and then pay the farm sponsor a return on their sponsorship. While this farm process is ongoing, the farm sponsors are able to keep track of the full-cycle by getting updates in text, pictures and videos.

Eversend

Convertible Note in 2019
Eversend SAS, founded in 2017 and based in Paris, France, offers a multi-currency e-wallet application that enables users to send and receive money, buy cryptocurrency, create virtual cards, and purchase airtime. The platform leverages blockchain technology to provide a digital payment gateway, facilitating electronic money transfers to bank accounts and mobile payments while minimizing costs associated with fees and foreign exchange. In addition to its current services, Eversend plans to expand its offerings to include personal loans, savings, group savings, merchant payments, and investment options. The company aims to grow its presence in Nigeria, Francophone Africa, and Europe while utilizing funds for product development, user acquisition, and regulatory compliance.

Eversend

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Eversend SAS, founded in 2017 and based in Paris, France, offers a multi-currency e-wallet application that enables users to send and receive money, buy cryptocurrency, create virtual cards, and purchase airtime. The platform leverages blockchain technology to provide a digital payment gateway, facilitating electronic money transfers to bank accounts and mobile payments while minimizing costs associated with fees and foreign exchange. In addition to its current services, Eversend plans to expand its offerings to include personal loans, savings, group savings, merchant payments, and investment options. The company aims to grow its presence in Nigeria, Francophone Africa, and Europe while utilizing funds for product development, user acquisition, and regulatory compliance.

Eversend

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Eversend SAS, founded in 2017 and based in Paris, France, offers a multi-currency e-wallet application that enables users to send and receive money, buy cryptocurrency, create virtual cards, and purchase airtime. The platform leverages blockchain technology to provide a digital payment gateway, facilitating electronic money transfers to bank accounts and mobile payments while minimizing costs associated with fees and foreign exchange. In addition to its current services, Eversend plans to expand its offerings to include personal loans, savings, group savings, merchant payments, and investment options. The company aims to grow its presence in Nigeria, Francophone Africa, and Europe while utilizing funds for product development, user acquisition, and regulatory compliance.

MDaaS Global

Pre Seed Round in 2018
MDaaS Global Corp. owns and operates diagnostic centers in clinically-underserved communities in Africa. Its diagnostic centers offer radiology, cardiology, and lab services. The company also offers SentinelX, that enables patients to track their health over time and easily access primary care both in-person and virtually. The company also retails, leases, installs, and maintains medical equipment for hospitals. It caters to the healthcare industry. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Lagos, Nigeria with an additional office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Farmcrowdy

Seed Round in 2017
Farmcrowdy is an agric-tech platform that gives Nigerians the opportunity to participate in Agriculture by selecting the kind of farms they want to sponsor. They use the sponsor’s funds to secure the land, engage the farmer, plant the seeds, insure the farmers and farm produce, complete the full farming cycle, sell the harvest and then pay the farm sponsor a return on their sponsorship. While this farm process is ongoing, the farm sponsors are able to keep track of the full-cycle by getting updates in text, pictures and videos.

Eversend

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Eversend SAS, founded in 2017 and based in Paris, France, offers a multi-currency e-wallet application that enables users to send and receive money, buy cryptocurrency, create virtual cards, and purchase airtime. The platform leverages blockchain technology to provide a digital payment gateway, facilitating electronic money transfers to bank accounts and mobile payments while minimizing costs associated with fees and foreign exchange. In addition to its current services, Eversend plans to expand its offerings to include personal loans, savings, group savings, merchant payments, and investment options. The company aims to grow its presence in Nigeria, Francophone Africa, and Europe while utilizing funds for product development, user acquisition, and regulatory compliance.

Farmcrowdy

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Farmcrowdy is an agric-tech platform that gives Nigerians the opportunity to participate in Agriculture by selecting the kind of farms they want to sponsor. They use the sponsor’s funds to secure the land, engage the farmer, plant the seeds, insure the farmers and farm produce, complete the full farming cycle, sell the harvest and then pay the farm sponsor a return on their sponsorship. While this farm process is ongoing, the farm sponsors are able to keep track of the full-cycle by getting updates in text, pictures and videos.

OffGridBox

Funding Round in 2017
OffGridBox is a modular and compact unit that provides renewable energy and clean water in remote areas and developing countries. Their OffGridBox™, an all-in-one system, fits entirely inside a 6x6x6 feet shipping container and is equipped with all the hardware needed to produce electricity and clean water. This innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis. One unit potentially managed by a local women co-op in a Rwandese village can impact up to 300 families (circa 1500 people) providing Tier 1 electricity and sterilized water. They deployed 38 units in 9 Countries (Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Philippines, Madagascar, US and Colombia) for different segments: humanitarian, household retail, service to industry. These units have operated more than 400,000 working hours.

OffGridBox

Seed Round in 2017
OffGridBox is a modular and compact unit that provides renewable energy and clean water in remote areas and developing countries. Their OffGridBox™, an all-in-one system, fits entirely inside a 6x6x6 feet shipping container and is equipped with all the hardware needed to produce electricity and clean water. This innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis. One unit potentially managed by a local women co-op in a Rwandese village can impact up to 300 families (circa 1500 people) providing Tier 1 electricity and sterilized water. They deployed 38 units in 9 Countries (Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Philippines, Madagascar, US and Colombia) for different segments: humanitarian, household retail, service to industry. These units have operated more than 400,000 working hours.

OffGridBox

Pre Seed Round in 2017
OffGridBox is a modular and compact unit that provides renewable energy and clean water in remote areas and developing countries. Their OffGridBox™, an all-in-one system, fits entirely inside a 6x6x6 feet shipping container and is equipped with all the hardware needed to produce electricity and clean water. This innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis. One unit potentially managed by a local women co-op in a Rwandese village can impact up to 300 families (circa 1500 people) providing Tier 1 electricity and sterilized water. They deployed 38 units in 9 Countries (Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Philippines, Madagascar, US and Colombia) for different segments: humanitarian, household retail, service to industry. These units have operated more than 400,000 working hours.

Social Lender

Seed Round in 2016
Social Lender is a lending solution based on social reputation on mobile, online and social media platforms.

MAX

Venture Round in 2016
Metro Africa Xpress, also known as MAX.ng, is a Lagos-based company that specializes in on-demand package pickup and delivery services. Incorporated in 2015, MAX.ng offers various delivery options including same day, three-hour, and next day services. The company addresses last-mile delivery challenges by utilizing mobile and web platforms to connect consumers, retail businesses, and independent drivers in real-time. By streamlining logistics and leveraging technology, MAX.ng aims to enhance the capabilities of retail businesses in Africa, facilitating growth and improving service delivery in the region. Additionally, the company provides a mobile application that integrates delivery services with ride-hailing options, further enhancing convenience for its users.

MAX

Seed Round in 2015
Metro Africa Xpress, also known as MAX.ng, is a Lagos-based company that specializes in on-demand package pickup and delivery services. Incorporated in 2015, MAX.ng offers various delivery options including same day, three-hour, and next day services. The company addresses last-mile delivery challenges by utilizing mobile and web platforms to connect consumers, retail businesses, and independent drivers in real-time. By streamlining logistics and leveraging technology, MAX.ng aims to enhance the capabilities of retail businesses in Africa, facilitating growth and improving service delivery in the region. Additionally, the company provides a mobile application that integrates delivery services with ride-hailing options, further enhancing convenience for its users.