Guest post by Ryan Yoder
Cameroon’s leading technology hub, ActivSpaces, is launching an intensive six month accelerator program called “Activation Bootcamp” in January 2015 for technology startups based in the country. The program is the first of its kind for Cameroon and is valued at 4.6 million FCFA for each startup, with 1 million FCFA given to the startup in cash. Applications for Activation Bootcamp will be open from January 5th through January 19th. The goals of the accelerator program are to help startups make sales, gain traction and attract investment from external partners. Launching a startup is hard — launching one in Cameroon is even harder. For this reason the selection process is very rigorous. Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance. The selection process will consist of a review of the applications by the staff ofActivSpacesalong with esteemed members of the technology and business community. The short-listed startups will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel, with the pitch event taking place the following week. More information such as venue, time and requirements will be communicated as the event approaches. Startups selected for Activation Bootcamp will be announced on the day of the pitch event. Each of the selected startups will receive a comprehensive package which includes office space, legal advice, marketing consulting, mentorship, business coaching and seed finance totaling 1 million FCFA in cash. 
To keep the program business-focused and ensure its sustainability, after a six month grace period startups will be asked to repay ActivSpaces a royalty of 5-10% of their total revenue (until they have repaid 4.6 million FCFA). Since repayment is based on revenue, startups will only make payments if and when they start generating revenue. During Activation Bootcamp the startups and the ActivSpaces’ team will focus on marketing and sales and thus making the startups more attractive to further investors. Startups participating in the bootcamp will be expected to contribute the following:
- » Attend weekly meetings with Business Development Team
- » Complete tasks set by Business Development Team
- » Attend Business Development sessions
- » Complete a monthly audit
- » Return on investment after a six month grace period
ActivSpaces is a tech hub that provides resources including office space, internet, mentorship and financing to technology startups. They run four membership programs. Activation Bootcamp — the most intensive program offered by ActivSpaces — is for startups ready to go to market. For additional information about the Activation Bootcamp please contact us. Email: bootcamp@activspaces.com Website: http://www.activspaces.com Tel: +237 233 323 554 Twitter: @ActivSpaces Hash tag: #ActivationBootcamp Executive Director’s Mobile: +237 671 947 324 See more at: http://blog.activspaces.com/2014/12/press-release-activspaces-launches-cameroons-first-accelerator-january-2015/ Photo Credit: activspaces via Compfight cc Article originally posted by VC4Africa and reposted here with their permission.