Services
From researching business opportunities in Africa to getting started on the ground.
We offer business development consulting, training programs, and community-building initiatives in Africa.
100+
Projects delivered
60+
Companies and organizations supported
25+
African countries covered
2022
Founded (Takamatsu & Nairobi)
HOW IT WORKS
We don’t stop at the research.
We stay until the business is running in Africa.
From site visits to grants and public tenders, company formation, recruitment and day-to-day operations on the ground. Whichever door you come in through, AXCEL AFRICA works alongside you to launch — and beyond it.
DOOR 1
Site Visits and On-Site Support
Choosing who to meet, securing the appointments, planning the route, and accompanying you on the day with interpretation. We build the visit so you learn the most in the time you have. Because we are based in Nairobi, the people who move are the people already here — not a team flown in.
DOOR 2
Grants and Public Tenders
METI’s Global South subsidy, JICA’s SME and SDGs Business Support Programme, J-Partnership, AfDX and others. We take it from sorting out the requirements and writing the proposal, through to implementation, settlement and reporting once you are selected.
PHASE 1
Research
Market research, academic research
PHASE 2
Validation
Feasibility studies, on-site support
PHASE 3
Setting up
Company formation, recruitment
PHASE 4
Operate and grow
Business operations, investment support
DOOR 1
Site visit arrangement and on-site support
“I’m going to Africa next month, and I don’t know who I should meet.”
That is a perfectly good place to start.
Choosing who to visit, securing the appointments, planning the route, and accompanying you on the day with interpretation. We design the visit so you learn the most in the time you have. Three Japanese and four Kenyan staff are based full-time in Nairobi, and we have partners across Africa — so the people who move are the people already on the ground, not a team flown in.
We reply within two business days
DOOR 2
Grants and public tenders
No one in-house to write the application, and no one to run the paperwork after you win.
You can start from exactly there.
JICA’s private-sector partnership schemes, METI subsidies, municipal calls for proposals. We choose the scheme that fits your business and write the proposal. Once you are selected, we act as your window to the secretariat and take on implementation support, expense management, receipts and documentation, and the final report.
We also publish a free list of grants for entering Africa (2026 edition)
CORE SERVICE
Business Development Support, alongside you
We don’t stop at research. We combine the support you need for the stage you are at — after launch, too, or for a single piece of the work.
Market research
Legal and regulatory frameworks, market conditions, competitors, potential partners and consumer behaviour — researched on the ground and organized into what you need to make a decision.
Company formation
Company registration, tax registration, licences and permits, bank accounts: the practical steps of setting up a local entity, handled with you.
Academic research
For universities and research institutes: study design, fieldwork, stakeholder coordination, data collection and reporting.
Feasibility studies
Does the business model hold up locally? We test it through interviews with customers and stakeholders, and through pilots.
Recruitment support
From the hiring plan to job postings, sourcing, screening, interviews and onboarding — recruitment run locally.
Research only, or company formation only, is fine. We can also join a business already under way and support just the part you need.
Business operations support
Local operations, finance and HR, sales and marketing — after launch, we work as a member of your local team.
Investment support
For investors and VCs: sourcing and screening candidates, meetings and due diligence support, then post-investment monitoring and growth support.
At what stage, and how far, have we supported clients? Real project examples show what our support looks like in practice.
PROGRAMMES
Training Programmes
We design and run training programmes for Japanese companies, local startups and universities — learning how to build a business, on the ground in Africa.
Short-term Field Programme
Visit local companies and startups, hear their problems first-hand, develop ideas, and test them on the ground.
Support for Your Own Programme
For those who already have a programme planned: selecting sites, securing appointments and coordinating local logistics.
Acceleration
For local startups: from clarifying the business challenge to strategy and execution, we work alongside you on the growth that matters.
Selected programmes and partners: UNIDO × the University of Tokyo “AYSEP” / Keio University Executive MBA overseas field study / Hosei University / Nishiyamato Gakuen High School, among others
COMMUNITY
Community Building
We build communities where people taking on Africa can connect, learn and support one another — places where new ventures begin.
JENGA HOUSE
Our base in Nairobi, where entrepreneurs, residents and travellers meet, connect, and start something new.
Africa Quest.com ／ AI-HUB
Alongside our coverage of African business, an online community where practitioners and newcomers connect and learn from each other.
KAKEHASHI AFRICA
In partnership with the alumni network of the ABE Initiative, we create opportunities for exchange and co-creation between Japan and Africa.