Open startup launches grow.3.0 flagship investment readiness program

Open Startup (OST) has launched GROW 3.0, the third cohort of its flagship Investment Readiness Program designed to empower advanced African startups to scale their businesses and secure funding. Now in its third cohort, GROW reflects continuous learning and iteration. With each edition, OST has refined its model to deliver a more hands-on, tailored, and practical investment-readiness experience that directly addresses founders’ go-to-market, fundraising, and growth challenges. GROW 3.0 continues to build a stronger pipeline of investor-ready African startups, providing them with the tools, mentorship, and global connections needed to scale confidently and secure funding. Building on the success of previous cohorts, supporting 32 startups across 13 industries in 10 countries, with $10.7M+ raised to date and $12M+ in accumulated revenues, GROW continues to accelerate Africa’s most ambitious entrepreneurs on their journey toward sustainable growth and global exposure.
Now in its third cohort, GROW reflects continuous learning and iteration. With each edition, OST has refined its model to deliver a more hands-on, tailored investment-readiness experience that addresses founders’ go-to-market, fundraising, and growth challenges. Startups are supported through structured mentorship and biweekly office hours, curated investor matchmaking, international-exposure fellowships, and access-to-talent placements. In GROW 2.0, this support was delivered at scale—106 mentorship sessions, 31 targeted training sessions, 75+ investor meetings, 4 VC clinics, engagement of 40+ experts, 18 international-exposure fellowships, and 13 access-to-talent fellowships. Building on these learnings, GROW 3.0 is even more hands-on and tailored, equipping startups with the tools, mentorship, and global connections to scale confidently and secure funding. GROW is a 12-month program supporting African Startups in their investment readiness and their capacity to scale, sell and fundraise.
Developed in collaboration with AfricaGrow, Africinvest Group, BPI France, and Go Ventures, the program provides founders with the tools, mentorship, and networks needed to expand into new markets and achieve their growth goals. In-person bootcamp focused on investment readiness, with practical clinics on data rooms, metrics, and investor storytelling; investor access via curated introductions, pitch reviews, and deal-readiness support; global exposure through international immersions and fellowships across leading startup ecosystems; talent support to help hire key roles, backed by targeted stipends and expert referrals; hands-on program support for go-to-market, partnerships, and market entry throughout the 12-month journey; tailored training blending business strategy, product, growth, and fundraising, led by international experts; personalized mentorship matched to stage and needs, with structured milestones and actionable feedback and community & network integration into OST’s pan-African founders, mentors, and ecosystem partners across Africa and beyond. Seed-stage startup operational for less than 4 years; 2–4 co-founders, with at least one African co-founder; operating in or impacting Africa, with a strong team and proven execution capacity and raised up to $350K.