The timbuktoo initiative, UNDP Africa’s flagship innovation ecosystem platform, saw an opportunity to bridge the massive gap in early stage risk capital, support African startups, and catalyze transformative innovation across ten key sectors, including Manufacturing Technologies.  

The ManuTech Hub serves as a center for startups with hybrid technical support, learning labs, mentorship, and exposure to continental experts. It also aligns directly with Ethiopia’s national priorities and ambition to become a leading manufacturing hub by 2030.  

In 2025, the hub run programming for two cohorts of startups through its bootcamp and incubation programmes. A total of 121 startups were selected from the 1,117 applicants to the programme. By the end of the year, the timbuktoo ManuTech community reached an exciting milestone. After months of hands-on training, experimentation, and building capability, 67 startups qualified to pitch for the Acceleration programme. 

Selection for the acceleration programme 

Until this stage, the programme focused on helping early stage manufacturing and manufacturing tech ventures build strong operational, strategic, and financial foundations. To transition into the Acceleration phase, each startup needed to have validated its problem-solution fit, understand its market, and organizationally ready to absorb investment. 

All startups gave a 10-minute pitch before a panel of seasoned experts drawn from across Africa’s innovation, strategy, technology, and entrepreneurship ecosystems and submitted deliverables such as strategic roadmap, operational plan etc. that were used together to evaluate the startups. The evaluations looked at key areas such as: 

• Clarity of problem and solution 

• Understanding of target market and competitiveness 

• Strength and feasibility of the business model 

• Financial viability and investment readiness 

• Team capacity and operational execution 

• Growth potential and scalability 

To be eligible for the Accelerator Programme, startups are required to achieve a minimum score of 60%, which aligns with Level 4 on the Viral Framework. Attaining this level demonstrates that the business has achieved product–market fit, validated its primary assumptions, proven its operational readiness, and developed enough organizational capacity to scale effectively. 

The Top 20  

After the startups were evaluated and ranked, the top 20 were chosen for the acceleration programme, where they will receive personalized support, technical guidance, networking opportunities, and investment readiness assistance. 

The programme will focus on strengthening business models, refining financial forecasts, preparing founders with investor-ready pitch decks, enhancing capital-raising strategies, and providing sector-specific manufacturing expertise through Expert Office Hours.  

The supported startups will also have access to USD 20,000 catalytic funding to test growth strategies, expand production capacity, or secure early customer contracts. 

This acceleration cohort is made up of startups from 7 countries (Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda) with 55% of them female-led. The accelerator programme will last for one month, ending with a demo day with potential investors.  

What is next  

In 2026, the ManuTech Hub, along with the overall timbuktoo programme, will shift the hub programing to be more market-led support through local incubators and fund managers that will run an accelerator programme. With this structure, the programme will catalyze the innovation ecosystem to produce a pipeline of startups that can be directly admitted into acceleration programmes.  

In lieu of grants, the hubs will now focus on market-driven funds that are led by fund managers who will mobilize funding from the private sector, enabling startups to access more sustainable and growth-oriented capital while fostering stronger connections with investors and local markets. 

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