• Enovation Factory and UNDP Cameroon launched Scale 32, a 14-month national programme to support 32 tech startups.

• The programme provides intensive training, mentorship, workspace access and investor matchmaking, followed by 12 months of alumni support.

• Cameroon seeks to strengthen its technology ecosystem amid low startup survival rates, weak governance and limited access to capital.

Cameroonian startups continue to struggle to attract investment as limited managerial expertise and weak ecosystem structuring hinder their growth. Observers argue that targeted support remains essential to improve competitiveness and unlock financing opportunities.

Enovation Factory, a Cameroon-based incubator and accelerator, launched in partnership with UNDP Cameroon a national 14-month initiative named Scale 32. The programme aims to support 32 technology startups by addressing their main barriers to growth, including access to capital, management skills and investor networks.

The programme unfolds in two phases. The first cohort will receive six months of intensive support from January to June 2026. The second cohort will benefit from a similar cycle from June to December 2026.

Enovation Factory will integrate selected startups into one of its two streams: Newbie, which targets early-stage or ideation-level projects, and Cracker, which targets operational startups seeking accelerated growth. The support package includes specialised training, mentorship, workspace access and connections with institutional partners and investors.

Enovation Factory will transition each startup into its Alumni programme after the six-month support phase. The incubator will provide an additional 12 months of follow-up, which includes access to its network, financing opportunities and major ecosystem events. The structure aims to ensure that each company consolidates the skills and gains achieved during the programme.

The initiative comes as Cameroon seeks to fortify its technology ecosystem and stimulate job creation. Policymakers attempt to complement existing sector-building efforts by addressing low startup survival rates and the weak governance that affects many early-stage companies.

However, challenges persist. The small volume of capital raised by local startups, the limited number of firms able to attract investors and the region’s low share of venture-capital flows underscore the need for deeper structural reforms. Analysts stress the need to strengthen corporate governance, improve investor appeal, reinforce institutional support and enhance the visibility of Cameroonian startups on the global stage.

Startups operating in technology, agritech, healthtech, fintech, edtech, green economy and other innovative sectors may apply before 18 December via the link provided by Enovation Factory: https://www.enovation-factory.com/postuler.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum