On Deck was launched in June 2019 as a founders fellowship. Over the years, it grew to offer more niche programs on specific verticals and provides education-based cohorts for founders, investors, product leaders and creators. Within 2 years it helped founders start over 1,000 companies.
To put capital at the centre of this thriving founder ecosystem, the On Deck community launched ODX Accelerator in 2021. The accelerator gives founders around the world access to top talent, experts and investors, while also building on-the-ground support through local networks.
Silicon Valley in the Cloud https://t.co/wW6akXJ1UW
— Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg) July 25, 2021
The accelerator which wants to be the “Stanford for the internet” is backed by top investors and operators from around the globe. The program has received over 7,500 applications and reached over 125 companies across the globe.
The “modern educational institution” invests $125,000 for 7% shares and also provides access to the On Deck community where startups hire talent, raise money and find customers.
ODX has garnered respect and goodwill from the African startup ecosystem for providing support and a global learning community for startups to grow and scale. Here are African startups that the San Francisco-based program has accelerated.
SendChamp
SendChamp provides a seamless messaging platform for growing businesses. The platform helps clients send messages to their customers across WhatsApp, SMS, email, and voice – all with zero coding skills to get started.
Founded by Goodness Kayode and Damilola Olotu in January 2021, the startup’s APIs allow users to deliver messaging across multiple channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, Email, and voice. The CRM solution, on the other hand, allows both developers and non-technical staff members to manage customer relations more effectively.
Sendstack
Sendstack helps businesses grow with ease by providing the most reliable, affordable and efficient delivery service. Sendstack is a next-day delivery service powered by technology to help businesses grow.
The app-based platform provides B2B delivery services helping businesses manage their deliveries. It was founded in 2021 by Ifeoma Nwobu.
Pivo Africa
Pivo offers SMEs owners in the supply chain sector flexible and more efficient ways to access credits. Pivo Africa was launched in September 2021 by Nkiru Amadi-Emina and Ijeoma Akwiwu.
The all-in-one financial services platform provides flexible and quick financing options for supply chain businesses like logistics service providers, clearing and forwarding businesses, and FMCG distributors.
Mizala
Mizala offers a digital protection platform that pools people in groups and creates new ways of hedging against risks. The platform eliminates insurance companies, middlemen, expensive premiums, and unpaid claims. Mizala was founded in 2020 by Marcel Okorie.
Oneport 365
A holistic freight forwarding platform, OnePort 365 is built to empower African businesses and enhance Africa’s participation in global trade. Founded in 2019 by Hio Sola-Usidame, OnePort 365 is currently operating in Nigeria and Ghana.
The startup simplifies freight forwarding for exporters and importers, providing complete transparency, visibility and control, minimising cost inefficiencies, eliminating time and effort inefficiencies resulting from traditional supply chain management methods.
Allawee
Allawee is a corporate credit card with a credit line to help clients spend smarter. It provides high credit limits, attractive cashback rewards and advanced spending. The credit-building mobile app founded by Oreofe Olurin & Ikenna Enenwali makes it easy for businesses and Fintechs’ to offer credit to their customers.
Fidia
Fidia is an all-in-one creator monetization platform built for creators to showcase, grow and monetize their creativity. The platform was founded in 2020 by the trio of Soliudeen Ogunsola, Gbadebo Bello and Ajibola Akelebe. Fidia intends not only to provide tools for creators, but also to find other avenues of support for creators and their creative businesses.
Evolve Credit
A loan and financial product marketplace Evolve Credit allows African consumers to find, compare, and apply for loan offers from select lenders. It also has affordable cloud lending solutions that enable consumers to build, launch, and manage any kind of loan product end-to-end. Evolve Credit was founded in 2019 by Akan Nelson and Daniel Osineye.
Collect Africa
Collect was founded in 2021 with a simple mission to help businesses collect payments seamlessly from their customers all over Africa. The payment platform by Abraham Ojes and Wale Martins brings all the available payment methods into one dashboard. This enables business owners using Collect Africa to receive payments across all sales channels, monitor and manage their businesses.
Kredi Bank
Kredi Bank is a bespoke digital banking solution that seeks to be the one-stop shop for all financial needs. The platform offers financial services such as savings, loans, insurance, digital banking, investments, etc. Kredi is powered by Kredimoney Microfinance Bank and founded in 2021 by Afolabi Abimbola.
Craftmerce
Craftmerce is a collaborative, online wholesale marketplace which connects African brands and products to international retail partners. The e-commerce platform was formed by the duo of Cynthia Asije and Sarah Odiavbara to help merchants with exceptional African products to gain access to international retailers.
Onboard base
Onboard base offers a collaborative and secure workspace for dev teams with teamwork and contractors in mind. The workspace platform was founded in 2020 by Karlista Okoh. Onboard base ensures teams do not share app secrets and credentials poorly or on mediums like Slack or email. combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on performance and security.
Ladda
A one-stop investment platform, Ladda provides access to an array of products – savings, mutual funds, Eurobonds, and local and international stocks so clients can easily invest. The investment portfolio is available in one secure location and easily accessible at all times. Ladda (getLadda) was launched in 2020 by Oluwatosin Olaseinde.
Exin Versa
Exin Versa enables local suppliers, vendors, retailers and distributors across Africa to leverage their business history and data to enhance their credit rating and access funding. Exin Versa’s unique financing model means that local suppliers and vendors in supply chains do not require collateral to obtain finance. The digital trade finance startup was founded by Folorunsho Williams.
Tanél Health
Tanél Health developed an easy-to-use, affordable, and reliable software to help run pharmacies. The software allows pharmacy owners to optimise inventory management, point-of-sale, track sales and more. Tanél Health‘s goal is to build Africa’s healthcare operating system. The Senegalese-based startup was founded by Mouhamed Ndoye and Makhtar Diop in 2020.
Sukhiba
A community commerce platform, Sukhiba connects local sellers, manufacturers and farmers to consumer communities directly by leveraging mass messaging platforms like SMS, WhatsApp, etc. The Kenyan startup wants to bring the next billion users online to buy and save together. Sukhiba was founded by Ananth Gudipati in 2020.
