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Villgro Africa is currently accepting applications for its Eye Health Innovation Accelerator 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
Opportunity Details
The Eye Health Innovation Accelerator is a Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) program aimed at supporting companies that are developing scalable, affordable, and high-impact innovations in the eye health space. The Accelerator provides technical assistance, catalytic capital, and deep market access to help startups validate solutions, strengthen business models, and scale across LMICs.
Technical assistance from eye-health and digital health experts.
Catalytic seed investment: $100k–$250k, with potential follow-on funding.
Access to partner and co-investor networks.
In-person bootcamps and peer-learning sessions.
Mentorship from clinicians, technologists, and health system experts.
Support for government engagement and public health pathways.
Connections to hospitals, NGOs, research institutions, and referral networks.
Startups must be legally registered in a Sub-Saharan African country.
Founder or senior leader must be a resident of an African country.
Must offer a proven, tech-enabled eye-health solution addressing major vision challenges.
Demonstrated traction (adoption, partnerships, early revenue).
Clear potential for scaling across LMIC markets.
Alignment with responsible innovation principles and public health priorities.
A Company pitch deck.
Optional 2-minute video demo or founder pitch.
Completed online application form.
Additional documents upon request during screening.
