Eye Health Accelerator

About

The Eye Health Accelerator, organized by Villgro Africa and The Fred Hollows Foundation, supports startups in Sub-Saharan Africa that are developing scalable and impactful eye health innovations, providing them with technical support, funding opportunities, and access to a network of partners and investors to enhance their market presence and growth potential.

Benefits

• 💰 Financial Support
• Eligible for seed funding ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 and potential follow-on funding
• 🎓 Mentorship Program
• Access to technical support from experts in eye health and digital health
• 🏢 Networking Opportunities
• Connection to a network of partners and investors in the eye health sector
• 🌐 Market Access
• Participation in activities related to growth, market access, and investment readiness
• 📈 Business Support
• Support for establishing connections with hospitals, NGOs, and research institutions

Eligibility Criteria

• 🌍 Geographic Eligibility
• Open to companies legally registered in Sub-Saharan African countries
• 🏢 Legal Status
• Must be a legally registered company with valid incorporation documents
• 💼 Business Stage
• Must have a validated technology-driven eye health solution with early revenue and market adoption cases
• 💰 Market Expansion Potential
• Must demonstrate potential for expansion in low and middle-income countries (LMICs)
• 👥 Team Requirements
• Founders or senior management must be residents of Africa

Participation Commitments

• 📍 Information Session
• Must attend the information session on December 17, 2025
• 🎤 Presentation Requirement
• Submission of a company project presentation PPT and optional 2-minute video introduction
• ⏰ Application Submission
• Completion of the online application form and provision of any additional required materials

Target Region

Open to startups in Sub-Saharan Africa

Target Sector

Focused on healthcare, medical services, and health technology