GETAccelerated cohort 4 opens applications to support early-stage startups in Nigeria to adopt AI for impact

Applications are now open for Cohort 4 of the GETAccelerated Program, the flagship initiative of Grooming Endowment Trust (GET) to advance innovation for impact. The program is designed to discover, accelerate, and support the growth and impact of early-stage startups in Nigeria. It offers non-equity funding, expert mentorship, and a structured journey to help founders build mission-driven businesses that can scale through impact.

Since its launch, GETAccelerated has supported more than 30 startups across sectors such as healthtech, agritech, fintech, mobility, the creative economy, and edtech. Alumni of the program include Regxta, Salubata, and Smallchops.ng, EVet, Juicelife.io, and Growrr. These companies have raised further investment, secured partnerships, and expanded their reach, strengthening Nigeria’s growing innovation ecosystem.

Cohort 4 will run as a 16-week accelerator program. It begins with a three-day bootcamp and hackathon, where startups will define their impact cases and build AI-powered prototypes. This will be followed by a 12-week digital acceleration journey, supported by expert mentors, coaches, and business validation resources. Each selected startup will receive ₦1 million in non-equity funding at the resident bootcamp at the Grooming Centre in Lagos. At the final Showcase and Demo Day, participants will compete for an additional ₦9 million in non-equity funding. After the program, founders will also gain access to investors, partners, and ecosystem support for continued growth.

Impact sits at the center of the GETAccelerated model. For Grooming Endowment Trust, impact goes beyond financial performance. It is about removing barriers, unlocking new markets, and serving underserved communities with affordable and scalable solutions. The program also focuses on strengthening networks within Nigeria’s innovation space, encouraging founders to build products that promote inclusion and sustainable change.

To qualify for Cohort 4, startups must be between six months and three years old. They should be led by first- or second-time founders, with a minimum viable product or second product iteration already in the market. Eligible startups must show some traction, be at the pre-seed or seed stage, have raised no more than early friends-and-family or pre-seed capital, and be seeking to adopt AI if adequate support is provided. The program targets Nigerian founders building in or for the Nigerian market. Startups that have joined more than three accelerators or incubators are not eligible.

Applications will close on October 12, 2025, at 12:00 PM WAT. Founders ready to scale their businesses while creating measurable social and economic change through the adoption of AI can apply here.