Futurize and SDC Startup School Announce Strategic Partnership to Power the Founders Academy Across Africa

SDC Partnership Team

2025-10-14

5 min read

Transforming Ideas into Impact with Africa’s Largest University Startup Founders Program

Lagos, Nigeria. October 14, 2025 — Futurize, a leading innovation and startup enabling organization, and SDC Startup School, a premier Pan-African startup education platform, have announced a strategic partnership centered around the Founders Academy—a dynamic 3-week entrepreneurship launchpad empowering bold innovators in healthcare, climate, and energy sectors across Africa.

The collaboration merges Futurize’s Founders Academy—Africa’s largest university startup founders program spanning 12 countries and 28 universities—with SDC Startup School’s proven curriculum and expertise. Together, they will deliver accessible, flexible education, hands-on mentorship, and live review sessions to aspiring founders across the continent.

From November 17 to December 5, 2025, over 2,000 learners will take part in workshops, masterclasses, and mentorship sessions designed to transform raw ideas into sharp, early-stage business concepts complete with functional technical prototypes. Teams will collaborate with mentors on design thinking, ideation, business modeling, and pitching—tackling real-world challenges such as AI-powered healthcare solutions, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable energy technology.

“As Africa’s startup ecosystem matures, the Founders Academy offers a thrilling launchpad where university teams innovate bold tech solutions addressing the continent’s most pressing challenges,” said Moritz Gripp at Futurize. “Our partnership with SDC Startup School ensures that participants not only gain knowledge but also practical skills and mentorship critical for startup success.”

“SDC Startup School is a free, self-paced, Pan-African online startup education platform meticulously designed for aspiring and first-time founders,” added Cynthia E. Chisom at SDC Startup School. “Partnering with Futurize on the Founders Academy allows us to extend our mission of equipping founders with practical startup tools and frameworks within a vibrant, continent-wide community.”

The partnership also includes joint efforts to promote the program’s impact and success stories—further strengthening Africa’s growing startup ecosystem.

About Futurize

Futurize accelerates innovation across Africa by fostering entrepreneurship, incubation, and skills development programs. The Founders Academy is its flagship initiative, providing hands-on learning and mentorship to university students preparing to launch impactful tech startups.

About SDC Startup School

SDC Startup School is a free, self-directed, Pan-African online education platform meticulously designed for aspiring and first-time founders. It empowers early-stage founders with startup knowledge, practical frameworks, and a supportive community to confidently navigate the journey from idea to launch.

Celebrating Our 2025 Batch 4 Launchers: A Look Back at a Bold Beginning

Earlier this year, we welcomed 40 brave founders into the SDC Launchpad family, a group we proudly call Batch 4 Launchers for 2025. From cities across Nigeria like Abuja, Benue, Lagos, Ibadan, Uyo, Katsina, and even the UK, each launcher stepped forward with one shared goal, to build something meaningful and push beyond their limits. Twelve women and twenty-eight men made up this batch, a blend of solo founders and teams, each story different, but all connected by a commitment to start. This cohort journeyed through programs, mentorship sessions, community conversations, and long nights of refining their visions. They learned to embrace the discomfort of growth, ask better questions, and shape their ideas into practical solutions. For SDC, Launchpad isn’t just a program; it’s a living ecosystem, a space where founders learn, unlearn, experiment, and build alongside others who believe in the power of building. Batch 4 reminded us what happens when courage meets community. Every pitch session, every group call, and every quiet moment of self-doubt faced and overcome, these are the building blocks of a founder’s journey. To every founder who chose to step forward with Batch 4, we see your courage, your commitment, and the sparks of change you’re creating. This milestone isn’t just about the months you spent in Launchpad, it’s about what comes next and the ripple effect of everything you’re building. As an ecosystem dedicated to shaping some of Africa’s most remarkable founders, we’re honored to have been part of your story so far.Congratulations again to the Batch 4 Launchers. Here’s to the ideas you’ll bring to life and the impact waiting ahead. 👉 Curious about Launchpad? Join the waitlist here to get updates on when the next cohort opens.

SDC

Fundraising

Dec 10, 2024

4 mins read

How Do You Build a Startup That Lasts?

We’ve seen startups rise. We’ve seen others fold. The real question isn’t just why they fail, but what we can learn from it. Building a startup that lasts goes beyond raising money or launching a shiny product. It’s about laying strong foundations, habits, mindsets and decisions that stand up even when trends shift and funding slows down. Many founders believe they need to have every answer before they start. But lasting startups are rarely built on perfection. They’re built on the ability to adapt, to listen to customers deeply, and to stay consistent when things get tough. At SDC Startup School, one way we bring this to life is through case studies. We take time to study what worked and what didn’t, helping founders connect the dots and avoid common pitfalls as they build. Through real case studies, we re-educate founders and guide them, helping them build with clearer vision, stronger conviction, and the courage to make better decisions. We encourage founders to look at patterns worth breaking and to build not just for today, but for the future and for the challenges and opportunities yet to come. You don’t have to tick every box before you start. What matters most is taking that first step and being willing to learn and adjust along the way. So, how do you build a startup that lasts? You start. You stay focused. You keep showing up. And you choose to build with intention, not just excitement. At SDC Startup School, we guide you through this journey, helping you learn, unlearn, and build with clarity. 👉 Join the SDC Startup School here

SDC

Launchpad Cohorts

Oct 20, 2025

6 min read

SDC Launchpad Announces 2025 Batch 5 Cohort: Empowering Africa’s Next Generation of Founders

Empowering Africa’s Next Generation of Founders 🚀

The SDC Launchpad has officially unveiled the founders and teams selected for its 2025 Batch 5 Cohort, marking the start of an 8-week intensive founder journey designed to equip early-stage entrepreneurs with the tools, mentorship, and structure they need to scale their ideas across Africa.

Running from October to December 2025, this year’s cohort brings together a dynamic mix of innovators building across fintech, sustainability, education, lifestyle, and technology. The program is backed by over $20,000 worth of perks from partners such as BrandDrive, Cloudplexo, SendPulse, and many more.

The program reflects SDC’s commitment to creating opportunities for African founders to learn, collaborate, and grow.

“Launchpad isn’t just about building startups; it’s about building founders. We want to empower creative minds to move from idea to execution, refine their products, understand their users, and grow sustainably. Africa doesn’t have a talent problem, it has an opportunity gap, and that’s exactly what we’re closing with Launchpad.”

— Cynthia E. Chisom, Principal Partner, SDC

Among the outstanding participants in this year’s cohort:

WasteVest (Olabode Afurewaju) — a sustainability-driven startup that rewards users for recycling and promotes environmental responsibility through technology.
Budgetify AI (Favour Okoh) — an AI-powered personal finance co-pilot designed to simplify budgeting, expense tracking, and investments.
Roomme — a housing and roommate matchmaking platform connecting young Africans to verified apartments and compatible co-living partners. Think Tinder meets Airbnb, but for long-term rentals.
KasuaBuy (Ayomide Ogunsanya, Samaila Audu, and Habila Samuel) — a digital marketplace redefining local commerce across Northern Nigeria, connecting buyers, sellers, and service providers in both English and Hausa.
Team Nova and Team Orbit — part of the Individual Track, where emerging founders are grouped into teams to co-create innovative, real-world startup concepts.

Throughout the program, participants will engage in masterclasses, advisory sessions, and interactive mentorship led by experienced founders and facilitators, including guest speakers such as Victor Daniyan (Nearpays), Tolu Gamp (Gamp), Cynthia Alabi (Uber), Benjamin Dada (Condia), Rita Idehai (Ecobarter), and Ndu Ekwomadu (BrandDrive).

They will also enjoy access to structured learning modules, weekly challenges, and a community spotlight designed to celebrate creativity, participation, and progress within the cohort.

The SDC Launchpad Batch 5 represents more than just another pre-incubator program — it’s a growing community of bold African founders ready to build, learn, and lead.

“We believe the future of Africa will be shaped by founders who are brave enough to start and resilient enough to keep building. SDC Launchpad exists to support and amplify those founders — one idea, one team, and one success story at a time.”

The program will conclude with a Showcase Day, where participants will pitch their refined ideas to judges, mentors, and partners.

SDC Launchpad Team