Double Feather Partners is pleased to announce the launch of the Africa Corporate Innovation Program (ACIP), in partnership with Shell Foundation and NEC Corporation.

The programme creates a structured platform for African startups and global corporates to test, validate and scale solutions in real market conditions across mobility, logistics and agriculture, three of DFP’s core investment verticals.

Connecting Startups with Corporate Partners

ACIP is designed to address a common challenge in emerging markets: creating effective pathways for innovative technologies to move from promising solutions to commercially viable businesses. Through the programme, African startups work directly with corporate partners to run proof of concept pilots, adapt technologies to local operating environments and establish clear pathways towards commercial deployment.

This approach gives startups an opportunity to demonstrate their solutions with real customers and operating partners, while allowing corporates to evaluate new technologies in practical market conditions.

DFP’s Role

Double Feather Partners is responsible for designing and implementing the process end to end. This includes identifying corporate challenges, sourcing relevant African startups, structuring and executing proof of concept projects, and supporting successful pilots as they progress towards investment and long term commercial growth.

The programme builds on DFP’s experience supporting more than 130 startups across Africa and developing models that connect corporate collaboration with capital mobilisation. By linking pilots to investment opportunities, ACIP aims to create a more complete pathway for startups moving from initial corporate engagement towards sustainable commercial scale.

De Risking Corporate Innovation

Early collaboration between large corporates and startups can involve significant uncertainty. Startups may need to adapt their technology to local requirements, while corporates need to assess whether a solution can operate effectively within existing systems and processes.

ACIP is designed to help address these challenges by providing a structured framework for testing solutions before larger commercial commitments are made. The programme is supported by the UK government through FCDO Services Research on Infrastructure in Developing Economies (RIDE) programme, alongside Shell Foundation. This support helps reduce the risks associated with early stage collaboration and creates stronger pathways towards follow on investment and commercial deployment.

Building Pathways from Pilots to Scale

For African startups, securing a corporate pilot can be an important step towards proving product market fit, generating commercial revenue and attracting additional investment. For corporate partners, working with local startups can provide access to technologies and business models developed specifically for African markets.

The opportunity is to move beyond one off innovation projects and create repeatable mechanisms through which corporates and startups can build commercial relationships. This is particularly relevant across mobility, logistics and agriculture, where market challenges often require locally adapted technologies and strong operational partnerships.

What We See

At Double Feather Partners, we see ACIP as an important extension of our work connecting African entrepreneurs with international capital, technology and corporate partners. Our experience across more than 130 startups has reinforced the importance of creating stronger links between innovation and commercial adoption.

Capital is essential for growth, but corporate partnerships can provide something equally valuable: customers, distribution, operational expertise and access to real market environments. By combining these elements, ACIP aims to help more African startups move from proof of concept to commercial scale while helping global companies identify and deploy relevant solutions across African markets.

We are grateful to Shell Foundation and the UK FCDO for their support in making the programme possible, and we look forward to working closely with NEC Corporation and our wider network of partners as ACIP develops.