MIT, BDIH launch startup accelerator
Lewanika Timothy | Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:54
The programme aims to fast‑track 31 locally-owned small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMME).
Anchored by MIT’s Kuo Sharper Innovation Centre, the initiative began with a three‑day bootcamp at BDIH’s headquarters, signalling Botswana’s efforts towards a globally aligned entrepreneurship development programme.
The programme adapts MIT’s global model, which has been deployed in more than 20 countries and credited with launching scalable startups across sectors—from health tech in East Africa to clean energy in South America.
In Botswana, participating SMMEs will receive intensive coaching in business model refinement, rapid prototyping, investor pitching, and market readiness—core tools that have turned early-stage concepts into viable ventures in emerging economies.
BDIH CEO Diane Mongudi described the partnership as a strategic inflection point for Botswana’s economy. “Innovation in Botswana must match ambition with rigour,” he said.
“This partnership ensures our local businesses can compete on a global stage, leveraging decades of MIT successes whilst maintaining a distinctly Botswana identity.”
Mongudi stressed that BDIH is focused on cultivating a pipeline of high-impact local enterprises capable of attracting investment, exporting technology, and making substantial contributions to national economic growth.
The 31 selected SMMEs, were drawn from sectors including agritech, health, fintech, and renewable energy, are receiving their first exposure to worldclass innovation frameworks.
This marks the first time Botswana is hosting an MIT‑affiliated accelerator at this scale.
If successful, Mongudi shared that it could pave the way for deeper collaboration amongst global innovation platforms, government, and local institutions.