Open Startup has announced the launch of the fifth edition of its flagship accelerator programme, BRAIN 5.0, designed to support African DeepTech startups in becoming both investment- and market-ready.
The organisation said the milestone marks five years of continuous innovation and refinement of the BRAIN model, which now offers more practical and tailored support to help science-based founders overcome complex technical and business challenges.
According to a statement released by Open Startup, each edition of the programme builds on lessons from previous cohorts, deepening its mission to bridge the gap between scientific research and entrepreneurship across the continent.
“Over the last five years, in collaboration with a strong consortium of global partners, BRAIN has supported more than 40 DeepTech startups across 10 African countries and 12 industries. To date, 25 startups have been accelerated, 60 per cent have raised investment, and together they have secured over $5 million in funding across multiple sectors,” the statement read.
The new edition, BRAIN 5.0, will focus on startups in the health and climate sectors, providing deeper, more specialised support to scale impactful technologies addressing Africa’s most pressing challenges.
BRAIN is a 12-month hybrid accelerator tailored for science-based startups leveraging advanced AI technologies or complex hardware. It is developed in collaboration with AfricaGrow, AfricInvest Group, and the Dutch Good Growth Fund, alongside partners such as Steve Madden, Digital Africa, MIT-Africa, the MIT Executive MBA Program, Bpifrance, Sanofi, and InstaDeep.
The programme offers participants a wide range of benefits, including an in-person regional bootcamp in South Africa co-delivered with MIT Executive MBA students and global DeepTech experts. Startups will also gain international exposure through immersion experiences across Africa, the United States, and Europe, as well as exclusive investor access via tailored pitch clinics and meetings with leading DeepTech investors.
With BRAIN 5.0, Open Startup said it aims to consolidate its role as a key player in Africa’s innovation ecosystem by strengthening the link between science, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.
