Resilience17 (previously Berrywood), the rebranded enterprise fund and studio based by Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, has launched a brand new AI-focused accelerator, Go Time AI, geared toward supporting African startups engaged on synthetic intelligence merchandise.
Initially launched in 2021 as Berrywood with portfolio firms like Klasha, Pivo, AltSchool, and Bamboo, the enterprise studio will provide as much as $200,000 in funding and mentorship to chose startups, in trade for 8% fairness possession.
The primary cohort of the accelerator Go Time AI launched in 2024, offering taking part startups with monetary help, technical assets, and steerage from business specialists. Startups chosen for the accelerator will obtain as much as $200K in funding—beginning with an preliminary $25,000, adopted by as much as $175,000 in subsequent rounds. This system supplies entry to cloud computing credit and API companies to assist construct, take a look at, and scale AI merchandise.
“Regardless of challenges acutely highlighted in 2024, Nigeria is poised to proceed main as a worldwide know-how hub and might lead in AI. We launched Go Time AI to show this thesis. After the final 4 months working carefully with the first cohort of AI firms, that conviction has solely change into stronger,” stated Hasan Luongo, Basic Companion of Resilience17.
As AI dominates world discourse, African founders are working to carve out their place within the business. Nevertheless, entry to capital, infrastructure, and technical experience stays difficult. The accelerator goals to bridge this hole, offering funding, mentorship, and assets to assist African startups construct and scale aggressive AI merchandise.
Go Time Accelerator launch comes after Iyin Aboyeji, the founding father of the VC agency Future Africa, and Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani launched Speed up Africa, an accelerator styled to be the YC of Africa. The accelerator launch additionally comes after Massimiliano Spalazzi, former Jumia Nigeria CEO and Olumide Soyombo, a Nigerian angel investor launched JADA, an information & analytics expertise hub to assist firms the world over entry AI skills on the contient.
Final 12 months, Go Time AI admitted 5 startups into its first cohort. The 5 startups—which introduced their pitches at its demo day in January 2025—embrace: Catlog, an AI-bot that helps companies promote, handle buyer inquiries, take funds, and ship items through Instagram and WhatsApp; Sahel AI, an AI-powered contract evaluate and drafting software for legislation corporations and in-house authorized groups; Tyms, an AI-powered accounting software program for small companies; AI Teacha, an AI powered software that helps academics with lesson planning, displays, and studying materials growth; FriendNPal, a 24/7 psychological well being AI companion and reside remedy platform.
The chosen startups recieved $25,000 upfront and can recieve and as much as $175,000 extra in two subsequent rounds. The accelerator doesn’t have a devoted fund however attracts from Resilience17’s $35 million fund pool. It additionally has no mounted cohort measurement and stays open to accepting extra startups.
The accelerator begins with a kickoff week in Lagos, adopted by a four-month program designed to supply founders with hands-on studying and mentorship. Each two weeks, individuals collect for in-person Demo Nights, the place they showcase progress and obtain suggestions interact with traders, mentors, and friends.
A core a part of the accelerator is Workplace Hours, the place founders interact in deep-dive discussions on important facets of their startups. These periods cowl technical growth, product technique, and go-to-market (GTM)/progress techniques. Founders obtain direct steerage from skilled entrepreneurs and business specialists who share insights primarily based on real-world expertise.
Within the first cohort, founders discovered from specialists like Wiza Jalakasi from EBanx, Olusola (Olu) Amusan, is Co-founder and CEO at Vesti, Samee Zahid of Chippercasj, Yewande Akomolafe-Kalu of Flutterwave and plenty of others.
“Our objective was to not train founders the right way to run an organization however particularly slim the concentrate on what we see as an important issues any early stage firms must be centered on. Constructing a world class product expertise and getting customers into the product and to the magic second the place they see clear worth,” Luongo added.
Go Time AI is off to a powerful begin, with taking part founders confirming that it delivered on its promise—to sharpen their storytelling, refine monetary fashions, improve product pondering, and join them with corporates and traders. Functions for the second cohort will open in Might 2025.
