19 Growth Accelerator entrepreneurs unveiled
The Growth Accelerator (GA) Malawi has unveiled 19 successful early-stage entrepreneurs under cohorts seven and eight of the Growth Accelerator Entrepreneurship Challenge.
The successful entrepreneurs who were unveiled today at the GA offices in Lilongwe are expected to embark on an extensive entrepreneurial journey that will accelerate their businesses to greater heights.
Launched in 2018 in a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the program offers mentorship and co-financing of up to $40,000 in partnership with the German Development Bank (KfW).
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Challa Getachew congratulated the successful entrepreneurs for sailing through a tough and rigorous assessment period which saw hundreds others being left out.
“We understand the entrepreneurial journey and how rough it is. With overwhelming enthusiasm at the start (idea-stage entrepreneurs), moving into stiff competition, you stand at that slope of enlightenment with the ambition of reaching sustainability, and such is our common ambition through the Growth Accelerator.” She said.
Both the Royal Norwegian Ambassador Ingrid Marie Mikelsen and the kfw Country Director Daniela Bese said they are satisfied with the impact made by the previous cohorts and said they have greater hopes that cohorts 7 and 8 will do much better.
Since 2018 when the program was launched, it has supported over 70 business ventures and the main target is to facilitate successful businesses, job creation and improved farmers and community lives.