Urban Innovation
Founder Residency
Africa's cities are growing at 3.5% a year, faster than anywhere else. By 2050, its cities will absorb 80% of the continent's population growth, adding 700 million people and doubling the urban population to 1.4 billion.
Delta40, in partnership with the Judith Neilson Foundation & Lemelson Foundation, is launching the Urban Innovations Founder Residency to support ventures shaping how those cities move, build, power themselves, and access finance.
Build the ventures that reshape Africa's cities.
Urban mobility
Electric vehicles, battery-swapping, charging infrastructure, and the financing models that make clean transport accessible. As Africa's cities grow, moving people and goods affordably and cleanly is one of the defining challenges and opportunities of the next decade.
Renewable Energy
Clean energy solutions built for urban density - rooftop and distributed solar, energy storage, efficiency tools, and the systems that keep growing cities powered reliably and sustainably.
Green building
Sustainable construction methods and materials that reduce the carbon footprint of Africa's fastest-growing built environment from low-carbon materials to circular construction and energy-efficient design.
Data & AI & Embedded fintech
Financial tools built into the products and platforms urban SMEs already use - payments, credit, insurance, and working capital that help small businesses grow, formalize, and weather shocks.
Building something urban-adjacent that doesn't fit neatly in a box? Apply anyway, we'd love to hear from you.
Designed with valuable insights from founders, investors, and successful innovation programs, our goal with this program is to turn energy and mobility innovations into commercial businesses, empower exceptional founders, and bridge critical gaps in technology, capital, support, and expertise. In line with Delta40s’ mission, 50% of participants in this program will be women.
The Delta40 Difference
An 18-month, hands-on venture support program for six early-stage ventures solving urban challenges in Kenya and Nigeria. You get the same embedded support our venture studio companies receive - our team working inside your venture on the things that actually move the business: finance, commercial strategy, hiring, and fundraising.
Execution Support for innovation design, testing, & commercialization from a team of experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders with deep expertise in Africa
Equity and Innovation Grants with Delta40 and other co-investors. Participants will be encouraged to explore innovative ideas with minimal financial exposure
Access to a Curated Ecosystem –– Delta40’s highly curated events bring together founders, operators, academics, investors, and funders designed to spark meaningful relationships, unlock synergies, and create tangible opportunities for growth and scale.
Strong Community of Technical Founders across Africa that will share insights, pilot technologies, co-develop solutions, and provide peer support to tackle industry-specific challenges including regulatory hurdles, technology adoption and new market entry.
Residency Details
What You Get
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Embedded operational support
A fractional CFO, commercial lead, and talent expert working inside your venture not consultants who show up once and disappear. -
Catalytic capital
Sub-grants of up to $50,000 to unlock specific growth activities, plus working capital where it's needed most. -
Investor access
Introductions from our network of our active investors, refreshed investor materials, and curated networking events in Nairobi and Lagos. -
Targeted sprints
Sessions built around what the venture actually needs - fundraising, board construction, multi-market compliance, and more. -
A structured path to what's next
At the end of the program, a clear handover, follow-on investor introductions, and - for the right ventures - a route to Delta40 follow-on investment.
Founder Profile
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You're a founder building on the frontlines with deep domain expertise in your space
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Your venture operates in East Africa or West Africa
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You have an MVP in market and are pre-revenue to early revenue
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Your work measurably improves lives, livelihoods, or resilience for underserved urban communities
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You have a path to scale
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Your venture is within one of the sub-sectors above
