Cascador has selected 10 Nigerian businesses for its 2026 ScaleUp Program, a 12-week accelerator designed to help growth-stage companies strengthen their operations and prepare for their next phase of expansion.
The businesses were selected from more than 1,000 applications and operate across sectors including clean energy, healthcare, agriculture, proptech, beauty, tourism, food production and critical minerals.
The latest cohort is part of Cascador’s efforts to support Nigerian companies that have moved beyond the early stages of building a business but still need capital, strategic guidance and stronger leadership structures to scale.
“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, co-founder of Cascador. “That is the opportunity this cohort brings, where visionaries, innovators and impact-driven leaders can grow their businesses sustainably with lasting economic value.”
The selected companies include Venco, a digital platform that helps manage payments, utilities, communications and operations in multi-tenant communities; SunFi, a clean energy financing platform; and ColdHubs, which provides solar-powered cold storage to farmers, traders and food businesses to reduce post-harvest losses.
The cohort also includes EHA Clinics, which provides primary healthcare, digital health, pharmacy and home-care services, and Beauty Hut Africa, a technology-enabled beauty retail and distribution company.
Other selected businesses are BEYOND Fitness, a wellness company; Ziba Beach Resort, a leisure and tourism business; Tulay Africa, which connects international industrial buyers with African producers of critical minerals; Maanj Agric, which connects smallholder farmers with financing; and Finger Chops, a bakery that produces and distributes bread to consumers across Nigeria.
The 12-week programme will combine two weeks of in-person sessions with 10 weeks of virtual training for founders and their leadership teams.
The in-person sessions will cover the programme kickoff and pitch week, while participants will receive one-on-one guidance from investors, industry experts and strategic partners.
“The founders in our 2026 ScaleUp program reflect the ambition, resilience and entrepreneurial talent driving Nigeria’s economy forward,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador. “Their businesses are already creating jobs, generating value and spurring growth across some of the country’s most important sectors.”
The programme will assess each business across areas such as finance, operations, legal structure and technology. Cascador said the assessments are intended to identify weaknesses that could prevent the companies from scaling and allow the support to be tailored to each business.
Participants will also gain access to Cascador’s network of advisers, venture capital firms, strategic partners and banking relationships.
By the end of the programme, founders are expected to have clearer customer strategies, stronger operating models and better preparation for their next stage of growth.
The programme also provides a potential route to additional capital. Selected businesses will be eligible for follow-on funding through Cascador’s Catalytic Fund, which can deploy up to $5 million annually through local-currency debt, equity and guarantees.
The programme will conclude with a live Pitch Day, where participating companies will compete for $50,000 in awards.
Cascador says it has supported more than 70 ventures since launching operations in 2019. Those businesses have collectively raised $125 million in capital.
Previous companies supported by Cascador include digital lending platform Sycamore, energy company Koolboks, mobility and logistics businesses Fex Delivery and Drive45 Mobility, and payments infrastructure provider Lenco.
Cascador plans to run another ScaleUp cohort in spring 2027, with applications expected to open in November 2026.
