wAtt-boost Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa (1st Edition)

This initiative includes both pre-acceleration and acceleration programs tailored for startups and entrepreneurs in the renewable energy sector in Africa.

wAtt-boost aims to nurture and expand renewable energy-focused businesses within Africa’s startup ecosystem. They support both emerging and established entrepreneurs in the African renewable energy sector, helping them develop and grow their enterprises.

Categories

• Pre-Accelerator Program:
  • The Pre-Accelerator program is meant for aspiring entrepreneurs and startups in the early stages of developing a business idea, aiming to craft and validate their business plan, create a minimum viable product (MVP), and establish functional market access.
• Accelerator Program:
  • The Accelerator program is meant for entrepreneurs and startups seeking market validation and business expansion, aiming to develop a bankable product, finalise a robust team, build an expansive business network, and solidify a recurring clientele.

Thematic Areas

• Potential solution may include but are not limited to:
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) leveraging AI to optimize energy production, distribution, and consumption, AI-driven predictive maintenance for renewable energy systems, smart grid management using AI algorithms, other innovative AI applications in the renewable energy sector,
  • Grids and infrastructure such as development of resilient and efficient energy grids infrastructure projects that enhance energy access in remote areas, integration of renewable energy sources into existing grids and other infrastructure solutions that support renewable energy,
  • Climate adaptation and mitigation such as solutions that help communities adapt to climate change impacts, technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, projects focused on carbon capture and storage, and other climate-related innovations that support sustainability,
  • Clean cooking such as innovations in clean cooking technologies to reduce reliance on traditional biomass, development of affordable and efficient cookstoves, initiatives that promote the adoption of clean cooking solutions, and other clean cooking advancements that improve health and environment,
  • Electric mobility such as electric vehicle (EV) solutions tailored for African markets, infrastructure for EV charging stations, projects that promote sustainable transportation options, and other electric mobility initiatives that enhance transportation efficiency,
  • Agrivoltaics such as combining agriculture and solar energy production, solutions that enhance land use efficiency and food security, innovations in solar-powered irrigation systems, and other agrivoltaic technologies that support agricultural sustainability.

Modules

• The Training is composed of two modules:
  • Specific lectures from the NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator, a program owned and carried out by IRENA with the support of EF, scheduled between June and July 2025;
  • An ad-hoc training module run by RES4Africa addressing the peculiarities of the evolving African electricity markets.

Funding Information

• As a key component of the wAtt-boost program, participants will have the possibility to compete for two awards of 10,000.00 euros each.
• The final award of up to 20,0000,00 €, with 10,000,00 € for each of the two Winners, is contingent upon the full completion of the wAtt-boost program and acceptance of the provisions set forth in this document, as well as the Application Form, which forms an integral part of it.

Costs Covered

• The Training for the selected Participants will cover both technical and business aspects of boosting a startup in the renewable energy and power sector, offering a comprehensive package of services such as Training, Mentoring & Coaching, Networking & Visibility, Fundraising, and more (all activities and services will be conducted in English).

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
  • Entrepreneurs must be between 18 and 35 years old
  • The solution should address the African market
  • Ownership: either the entrepreneur must possess African citizenship or the startup must be registered in Africa
  • The startup must be registered for at least 1 year and operate in the renewable energy and electrification realm (among the others, potential domains may include, but are not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), grids and infrastructure, climate adaptation and mitigation, clean cooking, electric mobility, agrivoltaics,)
  • The entrepreneur must have proficiency in English, demonstrated by either being a native speaker, holding a CAE (Certificate in Advanced English), or having a degree completely taught in English

Selection Criteria

• A Selection Committee composed by a representative of each of the Partners will select fourteen candidates (“Participants”) to participate to the training and capacity building program (“Training”) based on the following criteria:
  • Relevance of the problem/need identified and ability to impact the renewable energy sector while fostering access to energy, job creation, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and economic growth
  • Innovation of the enterprise’s solution
  • Financial feasibility and solidity of the business model
  • Market size, scalability, and replicability of the solution
  • Ability to demonstrate the business case, value proposition, and competitive advantage of the enterprise
• Following the presentations, six Participants (three from the pre-accelerator and three from the accelerator) will be selected based on the following criteria:
  • Team Strength
  • Pitching clarity during presentations that startups will deliver in the Semifinal
  • Evaluation of the Participants’ interaction and commitment during the Training and Capacity Building Program
  • How the Training and Capacity Building Program significantly enhanced the clarity and effectiveness of the Participant’s final presentation
• The selection of the two Winners will be done in person in Nairobi on the basis of the following criteria:
  • Overall impact on the renewable energy sector (f.i. ability to foster access to energy, job creation, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and economic growth
  • Innovation and uniqueness of the solution
  • Financial solidity and feasibility of the business model
  • Market potential in terms of size, scalability, and replicability of the solution in the market
  • Clarity and strength of the business case, value proposition, and competitive advantage
  • Team Strength, specifically looking into the following values: Trust, Proactivity, Respect, Flexibility and Innovation
  • Pitching Clarity: effectiveness and clarity of presentations during the final pitch
  • Engagement and Commitment: interaction and commitment during the Training and Capacity Building Program
  • Improvement through Training: how significantly the Training enhanced the clarity and effectiveness of the final presentation

For more information, visit Enel Foundation.