Our Mission
We exist to build the infrastructure African founders need to compete and win on the global stage.
More Than a Network.
A Movement.
Founders Initiative Africa (FIA) is a pan-African community dedicated to supporting the next generation of African entrepreneurs. We believe that Africa's greatest untapped resource is its founders — bold, creative, relentlessly determined people who are building solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems.
Founded in 2021, we started as a WhatsApp group of 12 founders who were frustrated by the lack of practical, peer-driven support available on the continent. Three years later, we are a community of 50,000+ across 32 African countries, with programs that have directly supported 1,200+ startups and facilitated $18M+ in funding.
We are not a traditional accelerator. We are not a VC fund. We are not a government program. We are a community — and that is our superpower.
To create visibility, share resources, and connect African founders with the knowledge, networks, and opportunities they need to build world-class companies.
A continent where any ambitious African entrepreneur has access to the same tools, networks, and opportunities as founders anywhere in the world.
- Community FirstEverything we build starts with founder needs.
- Radical OpennessShare everything. Hoard nothing.
- Africa-LedBuilt by Africans, for Africans, on African terms.
- Long-Term ThinkingWe optimize for decade-long impact, not quarterly metrics.
The People Behind FIA
Founders, operators, and ecosystem builders who have chosen to dedicate their careers to supporting other African entrepreneurs.
Amara Diallo
Amara is a Senegalese-Ghanaian entrepreneur and ecosystem builder with 12 years of experience in African venture capital and startup support. She previously led the Google for Startups program in Sub-Saharan Africa and was a founding team member of Partech Africa.
Chidi Okafor
Chidi built and sold two startups before dedicating himself to the ecosystem. He has mentored 300+ founders and sits on the boards of four African startups. He is passionate about manufacturing and deep tech on the continent.
Fatima Al-Rashid
Fatima leads FIA's community strategy and strategic partnerships. She has built partnerships with over 50 corporate partners, development finance institutions, and foundations across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Kwabena Asante-Mensah
Kwabena designs and delivers all of FIA's founder support programs. A former McKinsey consultant and Stanford MBA, he brings rigorous thinking and deep empathy to program design. He is passionate about fintech and financial inclusion.
Join the FIA Community
Applications are open. Be part of Africa's most exciting founder community.
Apply Now