The first cohort of the Crossover Founder Learning Exchange Program has officially started, bringing together 30 early-stage startup founders from across Africa for a 10-week virtual learning experience focused on practical entrepreneurship, startup fundamentals and long-term business growth.
Launched by XConnect Africa, the program was created to address a growing challenge facing many founders in emerging African markets, building businesses in isolation without access to experienced mentors, peer networks or practical startup education.
Unlike traditional accelerators that often focus heavily on theory and pitch preparation, Crossover is designed as a founder-to-founder learning platform where entrepreneurs can openly share experiences, discuss challenges and learn directly from startup builders operating in more established African ecosystems.
The initiative aims to help founders make smarter early-stage decisions around product development, customer discovery, strategic focus and company sustainability. Organisers say the goal is not only to help startups grow, but also to reduce common mistakes that can slow down businesses in their early stages.
The program is virtual-first and runs for 10 weeks, with a closing in-person experience planned at the end of the cohort. Sessions are discussion-based and led by experienced founders and operators rather than consultants or academic instructors.
According to the organisers, many African entrepreneurs struggle with key questions during the early stages of building their companies. These include understanding whether they are building scalable startups or traditional small businesses, identifying the right customer problems to solve and deciding which priorities matter most in the early stages of growth.
Through practical conversations and peer learning, Crossover hopes to create stronger support systems for founders who may not otherwise have access to experienced startup communities.
Building Stronger Startup Ecosystems Across Africa
One of the major strengths of the program is its pan-African approach. The first cohort includes founders from Southern, East, West, Central and North Africa, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from different markets and business environments.
The program also places strong emphasis on collaboration and meaningful founder relationships. By keeping the cohort intentionally small and curated, participants are expected to engage more openly, build long-term connections and support each other beyond the duration of the program.
Crossover’s experience-driven model also stands out because facilitators share honest lessons from real startup journeys, including failures, operational challenges and difficult decisions that are rarely discussed in traditional business training environments.
As African startup ecosystems continue to grow, initiatives like Crossover could play an important role in helping founders build more resilient and sustainable companies. Access to mentorship, practical learning and founder networks remains limited in many emerging markets, especially outside the continent’s major technology hubs.
Founders Selected for Crossover Cohort 1
The first cohort includes founders from 15 African countries operating across sectors such as fintech, agriculture, clean energy, health, logistics, education, aerospace and mobility.
- Bobkevin Shoo — Karis Agro (Tanzania)
- Shafic Zziwa — Xapisolt (Kampe) (Uganda)
- Alioune C. — Malaw (Senegal)
- Margaret Chilinda — Triple Impact (Malawi)
- Chizitere Obioha — Manda Pay (Angola)
- Pacifique Nezerwa — OLAMOVE (Rwanda)
- Paul Mboya Jabuya — Satesoft (Kenya)
- Martial T. TCHANGOLE — Cosmol AB Hub (Benin)
- Yassmin Elmahdi — Talum Pay (Sudan)
- Joannie M Bewa MD, PhD — DOTOH (Benin)
- Ralitsa N. — Trippa Africa (Uganda)
- Elisante Julius — Leelon Finance (Tanzania)
- Nanteza Tinah — RhizoNeCare (Uganda)
- Christian M. — ECOACT TANZANIA (Tanzania)
- Even Hashikutuva — Refrane (Namibia)
- Dona Eden FASSINOU — Mawudo Aerospace (Benin)
- Nigel Hove — Lavish Bio Gas (Zimbabwe)
- Ssekabira Najib — The Unorthodox (Uganda)
- Sidy KEBE — Sideris (Senegal)
- Khumbo Mindiera — SeaBek (Malawi)
- Samir Da Cruz Silva — Ralf.in (Cabo Verde)
- Patrick Mkoma — RUMO ENERGY (Tanzania)
- Rumbidzai Sithole — Edu Stay Zambia (Zimbabwe)
- Achref Ellouzi — Nova (Tunisia)
- Shamid MUKALU — Greenlfe Investments (Uganda)
- David Iileka — lunkir (Namibia)
- Robin Kuchombo — Mfendere Health Insurance (Malawi)
- Najjib Mutyaba — Maxey UG (Uganda)
- Olivier Ngwe — CECACAO (Cameroon)
- Kabo Moruti — Carygro (Botswana)
With the first cohort now underway, organisers say they are looking forward to seeing the partnerships, learning opportunities and business growth that emerge from the program over the coming weeks.
