The Ghana chapter of the World’s Largest Pre-Seed Accelerator has partnered with Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) to Help Ambitious Local Entrepreneurs Build Businesses that tackle Social and Environmental Challenges. 

Since launching in Ghana, the Founder Institute (fi.co) – the world’s largest pre-seed startup  accelerator, based in Silicon Valley – has created promising technology companies in the country, like Grow-For-Me, Akoo Books, Insurerity, and many more. Indeed, Founder Institute Ghana (FI Ghana) businesses have been accepted into Founder Institute’s prestigious Founder Lab accelerator run by the Silicon Valley team, and one is already one of the top regional companies, while they also at the same time received VC funding. 

The Founder Institute Ghana (fi.co/s/ghana), is forging partnerships with organizations whose values align with theirs. One of such outstanding organizations is Green Africa Youth Organization.

GAYO is a youth-led, gender-balanced advocacy group that focuses on environmental sustainability and community development. After several years of being at the forefront of community engagement and education on environmental sustainability, GAYO commenced two flagship projects: ‘Sustainable Community Project’ and ‘Water for Adaptation’ aimed at facilitating a community-led approach towards circular economy and enhancing climate change adaptation respectively. Believing in young people and locally developed solutions for local people, GAYO guides youth to create employment and skills development opportunities for themselves and their peers. 

“Through the partnership between FI Ghana and GAYO, together we will be better able to nurture Founders and businesses that specifically tackle social and environmental challenges facing our contemporary world. In doing this, FI Ghana will more broadly bring environmental issues and issues of social inequity into our general discourse, helping Founders – regardless of sector – to start and develop their businesses more thoughtfully with respect to social and environmental issues”. – Simon Turner | FI Ghana, Managing Director

Also, “GAYO and FI Ghana share a mirroring mission of empowering young innovators and communities of talented people to build technology businesses that positively impact the world while developing green recovery solutions.”  – Joshua Amponsem | Executive Director, GAYO. 

As well as introducing the value and importance of inclusivity and sustainability to all fellow entrepreneurs and their businesses, another initiative that accompanies this partnership is the offer of a Fellowship to a passionate, environmentally focused entrepreneur. Through FI Ghana – The FI Ghana GAYO Partnership, a Fellowship will be offered to a committed founder who wants to enroll in the Founder Institute program and receive continued support from the GAYO and FI partners after graduating. 

For entrepreneurs with an exciting green solution apply today to join FI Ghana:

Opportunities for collaborations identified by both organizations include the application of technology in food systems and sustainable fashion. Food systems are complex and currently unsustainable for both people and the planet. Similarly, the fashion industry accounts for 10% of annual global carbon emissions which exceeds the combined emissions of all international flights and maritime shipping. The world needs sustainable, nature-based solutions to food and fashion. The GAYO Fellowship, backed by the Founder Institute will identify highly motivated innovators who are ready to inspire transformation in food systems and fashion through the power of technology. 

Food systems and fashion is highly underrated for their potential to combat climate change, reduce socio-economic injustice, and restore wellbeing to humanity. The Founder Institute and GAYO partnership forms part of a broader vision to provide business growth support for early-stage startups working on transformative solutions to global social and environmental crises. GAYO’s 2021 vision is to double their green job provisions from 70 to 140 individuals. They see this partnership as a perfect fit to upscale startups to scale their solutions and engage more young people in their growth process. 

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The Founder Institute Ghana cohort pre-seed accelerator program begins on the 16th of February, 2021, and is open to all aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs in Ghana and around the world looking to build solutions for Ghana and Africa’s future will have the opportunity to:  

● Get constant training, support, feedback and regular office hours with 50+ Mentors, investors, and experts in Ghana and globally.  

● Make quick progress on their business using a proven, structured process to get to traction and funding that has helped alumni build great products and raise over $950M in funding.

● Get fast-tracked to a suite of post-programs, including Founder Lab, to continue getting expert support for years to come. 

● Expand their support network to include startup founders, CEOs, and investors from the Founder Institute’s global network of 4,500+ alumni and 18,000+ mentors across 225+ cities. 

Anybody who is interested can apply to the next Ghana Virtual Founder Institute program: fi.co/apply/ghana/gayo

Learn more about the Founder Institute at: fi.co/s/ghana  

FI Ghana Press Contact: simon.turner@fimail.co 

GAYO Press Contact: info@greenafricayouth.com