From the Savannah to the Valley: 88mph Sends African Entrepreneurs West, Holds Interviews to Bring Startups Back to Nairobi

May 15th, 2013

Nairobi, Kenya – May 15, 2013 – 88mph, a startup seed fund and accelerator based in Nairobi and Cape Town, announced today that they will be sending one startup to Silicon Valley this summer to participate in Blackbox Connect Summer ’13, a two-week immersion program for startup founders based outside of the United States, taking place July 15-26, 2013 in Atherton, California.

All startups that apply to 88mph Nairobi three-month accelerator before May 31, 2013 will also be considered for a chance to go to Silicon Valley. 88mph startup alumni are also invited to pitch and participate.

The selected Blackbox Connect Summer ‘13 entrepreneurs will live at the Blackbox Mansion for two weeks to live and collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs from all around the world. Program speakers and mentors in the past have included Valley veterans Dave McLure, Tim Draper, Keith Teare and Robert Scoble.

Startups can apply directly on the 88mph website at https://www.88mph.ac and must mention Blackbox Connect in the title of the application, plus upload a video about how they’ll take Silicon Valley by storm.

“Innovation is often born from necessity in Africa. Because of certain challenges here, whether they be infrastructure, government or funding related, Africa has had to leapfrog, We’ve had to work with a little to successfully produce a lot,” says Nikolai Barnwell, 88mph Nairobi Program Manager. “Mobile, for instance, has changed Africa and as a result, Africa is changing mobile. The learnings we can offer, and those from others around the globe, will make for an invaluable exchange of ideas this summer.”

88mph Holding Interviews in Silicon Valley July 15-26, 2013
88mph will be holding interviews in San Francisco and Palo Alto, California for startups interested in going through the Nairobi three-month accelerator that begins August 26, 2013. Startups must first submit their business via the 88mph online application and will be notified of their interview time and location by the first week of July. Accepted startups will receive up to $100,000 in funding and are also required to be present in Nairobi from the start of the program through the end of November.

“88mph supports startups and companies that build useful technology for Africa,” says Nikolai Barnwell, 88mph Nairobi Program Manager. “We’re looking for anyone who is interested in mobile/web in Africa to get involved, regardless of where they’re from. The more international companies and investors that we can bring to this endeavor, the better.”

88mph opened in Nairobi, Kenya in 2011 and has since made 23 startup investments. The seed accelerator started operations in Cape Town, South Africa in February 2013 and plans to expand to Lagos, Nigeria next year.

About 88mph
88mph is a private startup accelerator and seed fund, investing in web/mobile startups targeting the African market. The company is partnered with Google for Entrepreneurs and offers three-month accelerator programs in Nairobi and Cape Town.

88mph makes simultaneous investments in 10-12 startups and is Africa’s most active seed fund, with 23 investments since 2011. To date, the company has spent over $1.5 million dollars investing and supporting startups in Africa. Emphasis is placed on great teams with scalable products and speed to market.

About BlackBox Connect
Blackbox is a Silicon Valley startup accelerator focused on helping non-US startups that strive to bring their products to the global market. Our programs guide highly selected startups from all around the globe through setting up US-based business operations, raising capital and recruiting US-based executives. Video: What is Blackbox Connect? Watch the BBC clip.