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Applications have opened for the World Bank’s L’Afrique Excelle accelerator programme, which is looking to support scalable tech ventures from Francophone Africa.

Disrupt Africa reported earlier this month the World Bank Group had launched Afrique Excelle, the Francophone edition of the XL Africa accelerator it implemented in 2017, in partnership with the Tubaniso Agribusiness and Innovation Centre and managed by VC4A, Suguba and SahelInnov.

High-growth tech startups operating in Francophone Africa and looking to raise between US$250,000 and US$5 million are invited to apply, with 20 selected companies receiving access to funding, networks, mentoring and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, as well as all-expenses-paid residencies in Mali and France.

“We can also help you refine your business model, grow your revenue and market share, and accelerate your cross-border expansion,” the World Bank said.

Startups will receive structured access to Francophone Africa-focused investors throughout the programme and at a Venture Showcase at the VivaTech event in Paris, and mentoring from two successful entrepreneurs or investors.

They will also have the opportunity to engage with investors, domain experts, and corporate partners, gain support in developing investment packages, and gain knowledge through curated content designed to teach them everything they need to know about marketing, financing and market expansion.

Applications are open until January 14, 2019, with the programme beginning in March and ending in September. Startups from Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Togo are invited to apply.

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