StartUp Africa Ventures

Join StartUp Africa Ventures (SAV) for a virtual event marking the launch of the Founder Institute (FI) Mano River chapter, bringing the world’s largest pre-accelerator and startup support network to the Mano River Union—with a sharp focus on venture readiness.

This launch event will spotlight how early-stage founders in Mano River Union (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia) can access capital and prepare for investment. The session focused on startup funding in the Mano River Union will feature insights from leading investors and ecosystem builders, including Eric Osiakwan, Managing Partner at Chanzo Capital and Founder of Angel Fair Africa, who will share how investors evaluate early-stage startups, common fundraising pitfalls to avoid, and how equity and early-stage capital work in practice.

The Founder Institute (FI) is the world’s largest pre-accelerator network, supporting founders from idea to investment readiness. Since 2009, FI has helped launch 8,100+ startups and supported 650,000+ entrepreneurs across 100+ countries, with FI-backed companies raising $1.9B+ in capital and achieving an estimated $30B+ in portfolio value.

The launch of FI Mano River represents a major step in strengthening the region’s startup and investment ecosystem—connecting local founders to global mentorship, capital access, and acceleration pathways, while building a more investable pipeline across the Mano River Union.