Question 1

Who can apply?

Accepted Answer

Any African resident aged 18–35 with intermediate English or French. No degree required. Talent applicants need basic digital literacy; Forge applicants need either a working prototype or a clear founder thesis.

Question 2

Do I need to live near a hub?

Accepted Answer

No. Most cohort work is hybrid. Hubs are for in-person sprint weeks, employer events, and demo days — but you can complete the program from anywhere on the corridor.

Question 3

Is it really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tuition, certifications, and Forge access are sponsored by Big Tech and institutional partners. Hub stipends cover essentials during in-person weeks.

Question 4

What does AWA take?

Accepted Answer

Talent: nothing — placement bonuses come from employers. Forge: a small equity-light participation aligned with shipping milestones, only triggered at a successful funding event.

Question 5

Can I switch from Talent to Forge later?

Accepted Answer

Yes — many graduates do. Your certification stack and ACE history travel with you across pathways.

Question 6

How long do programs last?

Accepted Answer

Talent tracks: 8–16 weeks. Forge: a 12-month execution sprint with quarterly milestone gates.

Question 7

Where are the hubs?

Accepted Answer

Live: Casablanca, Dakar, Banjul, Accra. Onboarding: Lagos (Q3 '26), Nairobi (Q4 '26), Kigali (Q1 '27), Cape Town (Q2 '27).

Question 8

Can my city host a hub?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Municipalities, universities, and ecosystem operators can submit a hub proposal. We co-deploy with shared capex and standardised curriculum.

Question 9

What is ACE?

Accepted Answer

ACE — the Adaptive Cognitive Engine — is the AI layer that scores founder execution on real telemetry (usage, retention, pipeline) and matches capital-ready ventures to mandate-fit investors.

Question 10

How is the Health Score calculated?

Accepted Answer

ACE blends product signals (DAU, retention, NPS), commercial signals (revenue, pipeline, churn), and execution velocity (sprint completion, investor-readiness artefacts). Sustained 85+ triggers investor flags.

Question 11

How are founders matched to capital?

Accepted Answer

ACE continuously scores execution. At a sustained Health Score of 85+, founders are auto-flagged to investors whose mandates match — sector, geography, stage, ticket.

Question 12

What capital does AWA itself deploy?

Accepted Answer

AWA does not invest directly. We are infrastructure — we connect derisked founders to a network of regional and global investors. We earn on placement, not deployment.

Question 13

When does the next cohort start?

Accepted Answer

Cohorts open quarterly. Applications take ~20 minutes; admissions decisions land within 14 days.

Question 14

What does the assessment look like?

Accepted Answer

A short skills calibration + motivation interview. We optimise for craft and conviction, not credentials.

Straight answers.

Talk to admissions.

Straight answers.

ELIGIBILITYWho can apply?

ELIGIBILITYDo I need to live near a hub?

COSTIs it really free?

COSTWhat does AWA take?

PATHWAYSCan I switch from Talent to Forge later?

PATHWAYSHow long do programs last?

HUBSWhere are the hubs?

HUBSCan my city host a hub?

ACEWhat is ACE?

ACEHow is the Health Score calculated?

CAPITALHow are founders matched to capital?

CAPITALWhat capital does AWA itself deploy?

APPLICATIONWhen does the next cohort start?

APPLICATIONWhat does the assessment look like?

Talk to admissions.