C4DLab, a startup incubator in the University of Nairobi, has announced that it will now serve as a startup incubator and an accelerator.
The lab made this decision after consultations with several experts in startup innovation, incubation and acceleration within the ecosystem. The study by the Lab revealed that in order to create successful startups, they must go beyond the incubation stage.
According to a post by the lab,
“The bold and necessary move follows some of the key recommendations of a recent study carried out on performance of its start-ups. That, among other things, if the lab was to be seen as doing anything as regards successful incubation and innovation, it had to consider the following: start-up acceleration, productive faculty engagement, partnerships, funding as well as branding and positioning.”
The acceleration program to be offered by the Lab will be in three phases: “Pre-incubation”, “Early-stage acceleration” and “Growth stage”.
The lab is also hoping to partner with the private and public sector to help make this model viable by accessing funds, launching joint projects and other strategic partnerships.
C4DLab began in 2013 at the School of Computing & Informatics, University of Nairobi, where it functioned as a startup incubator.
