Cascador has announced the 10 Nigerian growth-stage companies selected for its 2026 ScaleUp Programme, a 12-week initiative aimed at helping ambitious businesses expand their operations, create jobs and drive economic growth across the country.
The Nigeria-focused platform, which supports transformative entrepreneurs, said the selected companies are working across critical sectors including healthcare, food security, clean energy, beauty, wellness, tourism, agriculture and industrial exports.
The 2026 cohort was selected from more than 1,000 qualified applications, reflecting Cascador’s increased focus on growth-stage businesses with proven traction and the potential to scale across Nigeria’s real economy and technology-driven industries.
The 10 selected companies are:
- Venco – Bringing payments, utilities, communications and operations for multi-tenanted communities onto one digital platform.
- SunFi – Powering solar adoption through a digital platform for financing, distribution, installation and management of clean-energy products and services.
- ColdHubs – Helping farmers, traders and food businesses reduce post-harvest losses through solar-powered cold storage.
- EHA Clinics – Expanding access to comprehensive primary healthcare through integrated digital, pharmacy and home-care services.
- Beauty Hut Africa – Building Africa’s beauty commerce infrastructure through technology-enabled retail and distribution of local and global beauty products.
- BEYOND Fitness – Combining fitness, recovery and community to create premium wellness experiences for professionals and teams.
- Ziba Beach Resort – Building experience-led leisure destinations that unlock the potential of Nigeria’s domestic tourism market.
- Tulay Africa – Connecting global industrial buyers with African producers to build a reliable supply of export-grade critical minerals.
- Maanj Agric – Connecting smallholder farmers to financing, climate-smart inputs, storage and markets through a coordinated farming network.
- Finger Chops – Producing and distributing high-quality bread at scale to households, retailers and institutions across Nigeria.
“We're incredibly proud to be part of Cascador's 2026 ScaleUp Program. The mentorship, resources and networks the program provides will accelerate our growth to transform how residential and commercial communities operate across Africa. As we scale, our goal is to bring our secure and efficient technology platform to more communities across new cities and countries, giving the managers who run them better tools to serve their residents," said Chude Osiegbu, CEO and Co-Founder of Venco”.
Women lead 60% of the businesses in this year’s cohort, while founders from five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical regions are represented.
Cascador said the diversity of the cohort, combined with its network of faculty, mentors and advisors, will provide opportunities for the companies to form new partnerships, broaden their networks, expand market access and unlock growth beyond their individual businesses.
“The founders in our 2026 ScaleUp program reflect the ambition, resilience and entrepreneurial talent driving Nigeria’s economy forward. Their businesses are already creating jobs, generating value and spurring growth across some of the country’s most important sectors. Our focus now is helping them scale further and unlock their full potential, giving them the training, mentorship, networks and leadership skills needed to power their next phase of growth,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
The 2026 ScaleUp Programme will provide participants with bespoke one-to-one support from investors, African and international experts, and strategic partners.
Participants will also be eligible for follow-on funding through Cascador’s Catalytic Fund, which deploys up to $5 million annually in growth capital through local currency debt, equity and guarantees in partnership with Sterling Bank.
The 12-week programme will combine two weeks of in-person sessions, including the programme kickoff and pitch week, with 10 weeks of virtual sessions for founders and their leadership teams.
Participants will also take part in a Live Pitch Day, where they will have the opportunity to compete for $50,000 in prizes.
“Finger Chops has been able to grow from a catering service into a trusted full-scale bakery serving communities and businesses. But our vision does not stop there; we want to build a leading African food manufacturing company rooted in quality, locally sourced products and operational excellence. Being selected for Cascador’s 2026 ScaleUp Program brings us closer to making that vision a reality, and we look forward to all the opportunities it brings,” said Adenike (Oyebola) Fetuga, CEO of Finger Chops.
Since 2019, Cascador has supported 70 ventures that have collectively raised $125 million in capital. In 2025 alone, the organisation said its alumni delivered essential products and services to more than 1.7 million customers.
“The next chapter of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial story will be about what happens when proven businesses get the support they need to scale. That is the opportunity this cohort brings, where visionaries, innovators and impact-driven leaders can grow their businesses sustainably with lasting economic value,” said David DeLucia, Co-Founder of Cascador.
You can register to be notified when applications open for Cascador’s next cohort here.
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