Villgro Africa Eye Health Innovation Accelerator Program 2026 for African Startups

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Applications are open for Villgro Africa Eye Health Innovation Accelerator Program 2026. The Eye Health Innovation Accelerator is a Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) program aimed at supporting companies that are developing scalable, affordable, and high-impact innovations in the eye health space. The Accelerator provides technical assistance, catalytic capital, and deep market access to help startups validate solutions, strengthen business models, and scale across LMICs.

Implemented by Villgro Africa and in partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation, this accelerator focuses on identifying promising ventures with strong potential for market fit, sustainable growth, and health impact, strengthening investment readiness for long-term growth.

Villgro Africa Eye Health Innovation Accelerator Program Focus

The Eye Health Innovation Accelerator will support high-impact ventures delivering technology-enabled solutions that expand access to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management of all eye conditions across LMICs.

Focus areas include:

Tech-enabled brick-and-click models for primary and specialized eye care
AI-driven solutions and tools for eye health
Community-level screening devices and portable diagnostics
Digital eye-care platforms, teleophthalmology, and remote screening
Data management, EHR systems, and workflow tools for eye care
Affordable or tech-enabled assistive technologies

Villgro Africa Eye Health Innovation Accelerator Benefits

Participation in the program focused on growth, market access, and investment readiness
Technical assistance from leading eye-health and digital health experts
Eligibility for catalytic seed investment of between $100k to $250k, with the possibility of follow-on funding
Access to partner and co-investor networks for potential investment
In-person bootcamp and peer-learning sessions
Mentorship from clinicians, technologists, and health system experts
Support to navigate government engagement and public health pathways
Connections to hospitals, NGOs, research institutions, and referral networks

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the program:

Refined business models and investment-ready strategies
Secured seed funding and potential co-investments
Strengthened market access pathways

Eligibility Criteria for Villgro Africa Eye Health Innovation Accelerator

The Accelerator seeks African startups with validated solutions and demonstrated traction. Applicants should:

Be legally registered in a Sub-Saharan African country
Have a founder or senior leader who is a resident of an African country
Offer a proven, tech-enabled eye-health solution addressing major vision challenges
Demonstrate adoption, partnerships, and early revenue
Shows clear potential for scale across LMIC markets
Align with responsible innovation principles, data protection requirements, and public health priorities

Selection Criteria

Impact and outcomes: Demonstrated evidence of improved access, quality, or affordability
Technical quality: Strong innovation aligned with eye-health needs
Traction: Demonstrated adoption, revenue, or active pilots
Scalability: Clear potential to replicate in LMIC markets
Team capacity: Strong leadership and operational readiness
Investment readiness: Ability to absorb catalytic capital and grow sustainably
Health system alignment: Fit with national eye-health priorities