OceanHub Africa
Acceleration Program
Acceleration Program in Partnership with Katapult Ocean and Supported by NORAD and DGGF
2025/2026
Calling for innovative ocean-minded startups
What You Can Expect From The Acceleration Program
Access to a global ocean-impact ecosystem to network with leading ocean experts, mentors, self-development coaches, alumni, impact investors, and potential clients and collaborators.
Engage with like-minded entrepreneurs within the Blue Economy space in Africa and abroad.
Hands-on support to accelerate your growth, including customer acquisition, executing your Proof of Concept, and scaling your business through commercial contracts and fundraising..
Hybrid-format program - combining a one-week in-person bootcamp, in-person participation in the annual Ocean Innovation Africa Summit, and remote sessions using online tools and communication methods.
The program will be running in two phases per intake. Evaluations will determine the 12 startups who progress to the second phase (Bridge to Opportunities) for additional engagement support to see through to graduation.
What the Program Has to Offer
Service Package
- Up to $75k worth of cloud service through our partner AWS Activate.
- Over $40k worth of mechanical engineering design software licences for prototyping and virtual testing, courtesy to our partner 3DExperience Lab.
- Access to Dassault Systèmes, Amazon Web Services, Hubspot support, and Notion Premium.
- Legal advisory sessions with Sidley Austin, Bowmans, and Lex Mundi (multinational law firms) based on your targeted market, valued at up to $50k.
- Advisory sessions with: Mercator Ocean International, Blue Oceans Partners, Ocean14 Capital, WWF-SA, Dept. of Oceanography University of Cape Town, EuroSIMA, and more!
- Self-development coaching with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business’ Centre for Coaching
Mentorship & Support
- Participation in an in-person bootcamp.
- Tailored business skills and personal development 1-on-1 coaching.
- Sales, Product Development, Communication, and Business Development Support.
- Mentorship from our network of scientific, business, impact, and investment experts from international corporations, foundations, universities, and intergovernmental organisations.
- Potential to take part in Katapult Ocean’s acceleration program post OHA’s acceleration graduation
Network
- Access to networking events and conferences, including partial funding to attend, host an exhibition stand and stage time at the Ocean Innovation Africa annual summit
- Access to potential clients (market leads) for local and international expansion
- Access to our international network of ocean-impact incubators/accelerators to scale overseas
- Access to key external partners
- The potential to attend Katapult Ocean’s Future Festival in Norway
Fund-Raising Support
- Potential funding of up to 15k USD.
- Investor readiness support in preparing and conducting investor pitches, including training sessions with partner investors directly
- Assistance in structuring deals, including reviews by transactional and commercial lawyers
- Access to a diverse portfolio of impact investors and corporate venture capitalist funds
- Access to a dedicated investment support with the partnership with Katapult Ocean’s investment team
- OceanHub Africa is a nominator organization seeking to promote its cohort to The Earthshot Prize.
Selection Criteria
Impact & Vision
Positive impact for triple bottom line - People, Planet and Profit
Aligned vision with OceanHub Africa
Business Model
Market & Traction
Commercial Value
Strategy for growth & scalability
Team
Expertise & Background
Collective ambition & passion
Technology
IP Owned
Reliability
Innovation
Adaptability & Scalability
Timeline 2024
2024
2013
2015
2016
2018
2019
2017-2022
2010
End Water Poverty campaigned for the United Nations General Assembly to explicitly recognise water and sanitation as a human right. Ahead of the assembly the coalition demonstrated its ability to coordinate cross-continental collective action, mobilising a record-breaking 100,000 people in 80 different countries to form the world’s longest toilet queue on World Water Day (22 March).
2013
End Water Poverty presented a petition with over one million signatures to the United Nations Deputy Secretary General calling for a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) dedicated to water and sanitation. Two years later, 193 countries pledged to ‘ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ when they adopted SDG 6.
2015
End Water Poverty joined Amnesty International and others in successfully advocating for water and sanitation to be recognised as standalone rights.
2016
End Water Poverty mobilised civil society organisations in over 30 countries to participate in the inaugural Water Action Month.
2018
End Water Poverty and its partners published a global study assessing the effectiveness of different national accountability mechanisms in upholding people’s human rights to water and sanitation.
2019
(International Human Rights Day) End Water Poverty launched Claim Your Water Rights: a global public pressure campaign. In the first phase of the campaign End Water Poverty provided mini-grants to 26 different members in 14 countries. These members employed diverse strategies to secure tangible results: from legal reform to influencing governments’ COVID-19 responses, from infrastructure improvements to numerous communities in multiple countries successfully claiming their rights.
2017-2022
Five Year Strategy.
Claim Your Water Rights original campaign strategy
- 23 March – 5 May: Application period
- 11 April & 24 April: Online Q&A Sessions
- 7 April- 19 May: Screening of the applications
- 21 May: Announcement of short-listed start-ups
- 23 May – 31 May: Pitching preparation for shortlisted candidates
- 5-6 June: Pitching session in front of the final selection committee
- 13 June: Final selection and announcement to Selection Committee.
- 28 June: Limit date to sign contract and Public announcement of start-ups selected
- 4 July: Program starts for 8 months with an online kick-off session
- 9-13 October: In-person Bootcamp in an African capital city (TBA)
- First Quarter 2025: Graduation in-person during the Ocean Innovation Africa Summit (exact dates to be confirmed)
High Level Terms
What we expect from the entrepreneur(s):
- Availability (at least 1.5 x full-time equivalents dedicated to the project).
- Limited commitment to other support programs concurrently.
- Transparent communication and cooperation.
- Involvement of at least 2 key C-level team members in the acceleration program.
- Commitment to cover the travel expenses (airfare and visa) for 1 representative attending the in-person bootcamp and Ocean Innovation Africa. Accommodation and food support will be provided.
- Reporting to OceanHub Africa and other stakeholders.
- As part of our collaborative success, compensation for OHA’s support can be structured through success fees: up to 5% on subsequent fundraising (over the program duration + 2 years) and up to 10% on commercial contracts secured through OHA’s introductions. Alternatively, equity in the business can be negotiated, with the percentage to be co-defined with the startup.
FAQs
The program offers a variety of support, including:
- Up to $75k worth of cloud services through AWS Activate.
- Mechanical engineering software licenses for prototyping and testing.
- Legal and business advisory services worth up to $50k.
- Mentorship from experts in science, business, impact, and investment.
- Networking opportunities at events like the Ocean Innovation Africa Summit.
- Fundraising support, including potential funding and investor readiness coaching.
The program combines in-person and remote components. It includes:
- A one-week in-person bootcamp.
- In-person participation in the annual Ocean Innovation Africa Summit.
- Remote sessions using online tools for ongoing support throughout the year.
Applications are open on a rolling basis for two intakes each year: March and July. The first intake for 2025 will start in March, and the second intake will begin in July. Key dates for 2025 can be found in the program timeline.
The selection process includes:
- Pre-screening of applications
- Shortlisting of candidates based on the selection criteria, such as impact, business model, team, and technology.
- Pitch preparation and final selection interviews in February and June per intake, respectively.
- The announcement of selected startups
- Please note that the program will be running in two phases per intake.
Evaluations will determine who progresses to the second phase for added engagement support to see through to graduation.
Entrepreneurs are expected to:
- Dedicate at least 1.5 full-time equivalents (FTEs) to the startup.
- Limit participation in other support programs during the acceleration period.
- Have at least two key C-level team members involved in the program.
- Cover travel expenses for attending in-person components (airfare and visa), though accommodation and food will be provided.
- Report regularly to OceanHub Africa and stakeholders.
- As part of our collaborative success, compensation for OHA’s support can be structured through success fees: up to 5% on subsequent fundraising (over the program duration + 2 years) and up to 10% on commercial contracts secured through OHA’s introductions. Alternatively, equity in the business can be negotiated, with the percentage to be co-defined with the startup.
Startups have the potential to receive up to $15,000 in recoverable grant funding, along with investor readiness support, including pitch training, deal structuring assistance, and access to a network of impact investors and corporate venture capitalists.
Startups will have access to tailored 1-on-1 coaching in areas like business skills, product development, communication, and sales. They will also receive mentorship from a diverse network of experts from international corporations, foundations, universities, and intergovernmental organizations, as well as scientific and impact specialists. Startups will also receive self-development coaching to enhance their entrepreneur resilience and development.
Being part of OceanHub Africa’s network provides:
- Access to a global ecosystem of ocean-impact incubators and accelerators.
- Connections to potential clients for both local and international expansion.
- Opportunities to showcase your startup at high-profile events like the Ocean Innovation Africa Summit.
- Access to key external partners and support networks, such as Amazon Web Services, Dassault Systèmes, and more.