The accelerator, which was unveiled in 2024, aims to support startups building AI-driven products across Africa. With a solid focus on promoting innovation, Resilience17 is offering up to $200,000 in funding and mentorship to selected startups, taking an 8% equity stake in return.

Resilience17 rebranded to strengthen its focus on African technology entrepreneurship. Over the past few years, the fund has grown its portfolio with companies like Klasha, Pivo, and Bamboo. 

Now, with the Go Time AI initiative, it is targeting sectors such as artificial intelligence. The accelerator seeks to provide the financial support, infrastructure, and expert guidance that African AI startups need to scale and compete globally.

General Partner of Resilience17, Hasan Luongo, said despite challenges acutely highlighted in 2024, Nigeria is set to continue leading as a global technology hub and can lead in AI. “We launched Go Time AI to prove this thesis. After the last 4 months working closely with the 1st cohort of AI companies, that conviction has only become stronger,” he stated.

The accelerator’s first cohort, which started in early 2024, saw five startups join the programme. These startups—Catlog, Sahel AI, Tyms, AI Teacha, and FriendNPal—are working on innovative solutions such as AI-powered customer service bots, contract review tools, accounting software, educational aids, and mental health platforms. 

As part of the programme, each of these startups received $25,000 in initial funding, with the potential for up to $175,000 more in subsequent rounds.

Unlike other accelerator programmes, Go Time AI does not operate with a fixed cohort size, allowing it to remain flexible and open to new startups. 

The programme also offers a unique mix of resources, including cloud credits, API services, and regular mentoring sessions. Participants also have access to “Office Hours,” where they engage directly with seasoned entrepreneurs and experts to discuss technical challenges, growth strategies, and product development.

Luongo further explained the accelerator’s approach, saying, “Our goal was not to teach founders how to run a company but specifically narrow the focus on what we see as the most important things any early-stage companies should be focused on. Building a world-class product experience and getting users into the product and to the magic moment where they see clear value.”

The Go Time AI accelerator aims to fill a huge gap for African founders, providing both capital and needed mentorship, technical expertise, and networking opportunities. With AI technology growing fast and being a global discourse, Resilience17’s initiative helps African startups to lead in this unique space.

Applications for the second cohort of the programme will open in May 2025, and Resilience17’s impact is expected to grow as more startups gain the resources they need to succeed in the AI industry.

Through its support for the next generation of African innovators, Resilience17 is stimulating resilience—one of Africa’s greatest strengths—and Go Time AI is essential to scale through the challenging, yet exciting, road to success.

The fund will drive the company’s expansion, particularly in Asia, where it plans to open a new office in Hangzhou, China; a known hub for e-commerce and payment service providers (PSSPs), home to major companies like Alibaba. 

Klasha also aims to strengthen its B2B payment solutions, offering businesses the ability to send and receive payments across Africa and Asia more efficiently.

Existing investors in the round included Expert Dojo, Alumni Ventures, Practical VC, Breega, My Asia VC, Resilience17, and Magic Fund. Brian Mac Mahon, founder and CEO of Expert Dojo, said: “We’re excited to re-invest in Klasha at a time when they’re rapidly scaling into B2B payments between emerging markets and Asia, providing more seamless, faster payment rails to their global merchants.”

Klasha’s platform supports payout and collection APIs, enabling businesses to pay partners in local African currencies such as NGN, KES, and UGX, while paying in USD, EUR, or CNY. 

This eliminates the challenges of currency exchange, allowing businesses to process payments swiftly to bank accounts or mobile wallets.

Again, Klasha’s Payment Links service allows businesses without e-commerce stores to collect payments online from African customers, receiving payouts in their chosen currency without needing a website or complex technical setup. 

Klasha Wire offers another key solution for businesses, enabling them to pay global suppliers from emerging markets in local currencies, with no hidden fees or monthly charges. Payments are typically settled within one to three business days, providing a reliable solution for international transactions.

Klasha is focused on ensuring high security for all transactions, with compliance to PCI-DSS and ISO-270001 standards. Its platform includes advanced Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, two-factor authentication, and regular audits to maintain transparency and protect users’ data. 

The company is also regulated in multiple jurisdictions, further strengthening its position in the global payments industry.

In addition to its Asian expansion, Klasha has obtained a Money Services Business (MSB) license in the United States, allowing it to operate as a currency exchange and money transmitter. This strengthens Klasha’s presence as a global payment facilitator, expanding its reach beyond Africa and Asia.

Jess Anuna, CEO of Klasha, commented on the latest developments: “We’re thrilled to announce our latest funding round and investment into the Asian market. We already work with merchants at scale in the region and are looking forward to expanding our capabilities there, fostering more seamless B2B payments between the two continents. With this investment and the addition of Justin Fan, we are confident that we can tap into the immense B2B payment opportunities in the Asian market and drive sustainable growth for the company.”

Currently, Klasha serves over 10,000 merchants and has processed more than 140 million transactions across emerging markets.

The company’s growth is supported by partnerships with major Asian PSSPs such as Coda Pay, Fomo Pay, and Easy Transfer, and it continues to deliver competitive foreign exchange rates and faster transaction times for businesses globally.