We back you before your venture exists.
Jasiri Talent Investor is a 13-month program that backs battle-tested African talent before the venture exists, betting on the individual pre-idea, pre-team, pre-venture, and providing founder-friendly capital, infrastructure, and guidance from venture formation to market validation.
The proof is in theFounders
Jasiri backs founders with the intelligent capital, infrastructure and guidance to create responsibly led ventures that endure, scale and meaningfully improve lives.
What is new Cohort 9 Focus: Building in Food Systems.
Our Strategic Shift
Rather than running cohorts across a broad range of sectors, Jasiri Talent Investor is focusing each cohort around a specific challenge area, aligning regulatory insight, technical expertise, partner networks, and venture support more closely around the constraints of that market. In applying this strategic shift, we have selected Food Systems as the focus for Cohort 9.
Eastern Africa's food systems underserve hundreds of millions of people at various steps of the chain. That is one of the continent's biggest opportunities. Cohort 9 is built for it.
What this means for you
Joining Cohort 9 means committing to build in food systems. That does not mean you need a background in it. Engineers, operators, scientists, financiers, marketers, etc — all build food systems ventures. Sector knowledge can be learned. What matters is that you are driven, good at what you do, and ready to pursue a problem worth solving in food systems.
Who we are looking for.
We select caliber.
You bring:
- Depth in your field. Years of hands-on work, for instance, in software, hardware, science, data, finance, operations or sales, with real work to show for it, not just credentials.
- Proof you have built before. A business, a side venture, a hustle. You have sold to customers and put your own time and money on the line.
- A record of achievement. A problem solver and value creator wherever you have focused your attention.
- Your strongest edge. You might be deeply technical or strongly commercial. Ventures need both.
You are:
- A Kenyan, Rwandan or Ethiopian citizen, at home or in the diaspora.
- Ready to pursue entrepreneurship full-time as a career.
- Able to relocate to Kigali for the three-month Residential Intensive.
- Committed to building a new venture in food systems.
- Eager to co-found from scratch with equally ambitious peers.
- Open-minded: ready to validate your idea and pivot it if the evidence says so.
Your 13-month journey.
Jasiri Jumpstart
From 18 Jan 2027 Online, 1 monthDiscover your WHY, your entrepreneurial edge, and fall in love with the problem.
Residential Intensive
17 Feb – 23 May 2027 , RwandaTeam formation, problem and opportunity identification, customer and product development.
Venture Creation
Up to 9 monthsLaunch in Rwanda, Kenya or Ethiopia.
How we back you.
Jasiri Jumpstart
USD 30 communication support.
Residential Intensive
Living support
USD 250 per month for 3 months.
Fully covered residence
Travel to and from Rwanda, accommodation, meals, transport and health insurance.
Market Validation funds
Up to USD 3,000 per team for prototyping and testing once you reach the validation stage.
Venture Creation
Venture creation grant
USD 28,000 per venture, disbursed in three milestone-gated tranches as your venture hits its milestones.
Experts and venture builders
Hands-on venture builders, coaches and vetted experts.
Partner value and credits
Partner value (AWS, Notion, Perplexity, HubSpot) and shared workspaces in Kigali, Nairobi and Addis Ababa.
How to get in
Selection process.
Application form
Present your entrepreneurial experience, technical skillset, strengths, and track record.
Entrepreneurial Intentions (EI)
Complete an assessment of your founding intent and readiness to build.
Psychometrics and video
Upload a short video on “Why Jasiri, and why now” and complete the psychometric assessment.
Selection Conference
If you make it through, join a live assessment, working in groups to tackle challenges and casework alongside other top candidates.
Interviews
Join an open conversation about your evidence and entrepreneurial history.
Offer
If selected, you will receive an offer to join Cohort 9, with the programme beginning with Jasiri Jumpstart in January 2027.
Apply early. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applying sooner means receiving faster feedback.
The selection process is designed to be a valuable learning and self-discovery experience, regardless of the outcome.
Call for Cohort 9 Applications
Food Systems Innovators - Apply Now.
Apply for the Talent InvestorFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
•Can I apply with an existing idea?
Yes, but it must focus on creating access and have the potential to become a market-creating innovation: creating access for the underserved rather than competing for existing customers. We evaluate the founder, not the idea, and any binding commitment to one idea (investor obligations, contracts) is a disqualifier.
•Can I apply with a co-founder?
Yes. Pre-formed pairs are welcome to apply to the same cohort. Each of you applies separately and is assessed independently, on your own merit. Selection is individual.
•Do I need a food systems background?
No. Domain depth helps, but engineers, operators, scientists, financiers and salespeople all build food systems ventures. What matters is genuine appetite for solving struggles in the sector.
•Does Jasiri take equity in my venture?
No. In East Africa, venture creation funding is grant-based: USD 28,200 disbursed against milestones.
•Do I need to quit my job to apply?
No, you can apply while still employed. However, selected fellows commit full-time starting with Jumpstart in January 2027, with no side engagements for the duration of the programme.
•Can candidates apply from the diaspora?
Yes. Citizens of Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia living abroad are encouraged to apply, as long as they are committed to building a venture in one of the three countries. The three-month Residency Intensive in Rwanda is mandatory and in person.
•Does getting selected mean I receive everything in the offer?
No. Jasiri is staged, and progression is earned at every stage. The Residential Intensive has its own gates: fellows advance based on performance, and some exit along the way, with support when they do. Validation funds unlock when your team reaches the validation stage. The venture creation grant is disbursed in three tranches, each gated on your venture hitting its milestones. What selection guarantees is the opportunity and the backing to earn each stage. The rest is on you and your venture.
•I already run a business. Can Jasiri Talent Investor fund it?
No. The Talent Investor backs individuals before the venture exists, and any binding commitment to an existing venture is a disqualifier. If your venture has achieved product-market fit, the Jasiri Growth Accelerator is your door. Two programmes, two entry points.
•What if my idea is not in agriculture and food systems?
Cohort 9 is anchored on food systems, so your interest and venture need to sit within it. If your ambitions lie elsewhere, we encourage you to consider applying to a future cohort, as each cohort will have a different focus. Please apply now if you are genuinely interested in building a venture in food systems — remember, we back the founder, not the idea.
•Is an allowance offered during Venture Creation?
No. The allowance applies only during the Residential Intensive, to cover your basics on top of travel, accommodation, meals, and health insurance. During Venture Creation, your venture can access funds to launch, as Jasiri's investment in your founding journey.
•In what currency will I receive funds throughout the programme?
All funds are disbursed in local currencies: Rwandan Francs (RWF), Kenyan Shillings (KES), or Ethiopian Birr (ETB), using a predetermined annual exchange rate.
More questions? Bring them to any Virtual Ask Me Anything, or write to us via enquiries@jasiri.org