Cascador picks 10 Nigerian startups for 2026 accelerator

Cascador, a Nigeria-focused growth platform, has selected 10 Nigerian companies for its 2026 ScaleUp Programme, a 12-week accelerator designed to help established businesses prepare for their next stage of growth.

The companies were selected from more than 1,000 applications and operate across sectors including healthcare, clean energy, agriculture, proptech, beauty, tourism, minerals and food production.

The 10 companies are:

Venco, a digital platform for managing payments, utilities, communications and operations in multi-tenanted communities.
SunFi, a clean-energy financing and distribution platform.
ColdHubs, which operates solar-powered cold storage for farmers, traders and food businesses.
EHA Clinics, which provides integrated primary healthcare, digital, pharmacy and home-care services.
Beauty Hut Africa, a technology-enabled beauty retail and distribution company.
BEYOND Fitness, a wellness business focused on fitness, recovery and community.
Ziba Beach Resort, an experience-led leisure and tourism company.
Tulay Africa, which connects global industrial buyers with African producers of critical minerals.
Maanj Agric, which connects smallholder farmers with financing, inputs, storage and markets.
Finger Chops, a bakery that produces and distributes bread across Nigeria.

According to Business Post, six of the 10 businesses are led by women, while the founders come from five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical regions.

The programme will combine two weeks of in-person sessions with 10 weeks of virtual sessions for founders and their leadership teams. Participants will receive tailored support from investors, African and international experts, strategic partners, mentors and advisors.

Cascador said founders will also undergo assessments covering areas such as finance, operations, legal and technology to identify weaknesses that could restrict future growth.

Participants will be eligible for follow-on funding through Cascador’s Catalytic Fund, which deploys up to $5 million annually through local-currency debt, equity and guarantees in partnership with Sterling Bank. The programme will end with a live Pitch Day, where participants can compete for $50,000 in prizes.

“The next chapter of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial story will be about what happens when proven businesses get the support they need to scale,” said David DeLucia, Cascador co-founder.

Since launching in 2019, Cascador says it has supported more than 70 ventures that have collectively raised $125 million. It plans to open applications for its next ScaleUp cohort in November 2026, ahead of the spring 2027 programme.