- Leisure Week Africa is introducing a grant pool for standout companies in its 2026 Deal Room, increasing a programme designed to attach inventive companies with buyers, mentors and business alternatives.
Leisure Week Africa (EWA) is introducing a brand new Deal Room Grant Pool for its 2026 version, growing an immediate investment alternative for standout inventive companies taking part on this yr’s Deal Room.
The initiative is designed to handle a chronic problem for inventive companies throughout Africa: shifting from a powerful concept or early-stage industry to a place the place the corporate can draw in the capital, partnerships and business give a boost to required to develop.
The grant pool used to be introduced on the EWA Deal Room Alumni Meetup in Lagos on October 7, bringing in combination founders who’ve up to now participated within the programme.
The Deal Room has more and more desirous about what occurs past the preliminary investor dialog. Slightly than just making a platform for founders to pitch, the programme supplies companies with mentorship, investor get entry to and alternatives to improve their business readiness.
The 2025 Deal Room shortlisted 178+ corporate programs, with 9 corporations advancing to the accelerator degree and 4 attracting are living investor hobby. Collaborating companies incorporated Aktivate, Atsur, FriendnPal, Growwr, Prop’ly and Sports activities Reels, with ecosystem and funding mentorship and give a boost to from Long run Africa, Catalyst Fund and Consonance Make investments.
Earlier individuals have additionally reported tangible industry results from their involvement.
Bukunola Bolajoko of 1101 Applied sciences described the Deal Room as a possibility to suppose past technical execution and imagine the broader ecosystem required to construct a more potent industry, whilst additionally growing investor connections.
For Tele Lawal of Kouture Paradisé, the EWA ecosystem contributed to the emblem’s enlargement into world markets, together with the United States, UK and Sweden, along new partnerships that supported its operations.
The 2026 grant pool is meant to construct in this basis via placing precise investment in the back of decided on companies.
Companies taking part on this yr’s Deal Room will paintings with mentors all the way through the method, with a jury together with their lead mentor assessing individuals in opposition to an outlined set of standards. Standout companies will then be regarded as for investment from the grant pool, which will probably be awarded right through EWA 2026 in November.
The initiative is a part of EWA’s wider method to strengthening the economic infrastructure round Africa’s inventive economic system. Along the Deal Room, the 2026 programme comprises the Content material Marketplace, Track Marketplace, Sync & Licensing Table, Rights & IP Table, Distribution Table, Pitch Rooms and different industry-facing platforms designed to create connections between inventive companies, patrons, buyers, manufacturers and markets.
EWA 2026 will happen in Lagos from 17–22 November, bringing in combination six days of programming throughout seven inventive {industry} tracks: Track, Movie & TV, Model & Good looks, AI & Tech, Artwork & Animation, Reside Occasions & Manufacturing, and Ingenious Endeavor.
Below the theme “Final the Hole,” the 2026 version is desirous about strengthening the connections between African inventive ability, capital, markets and business alternative.
Programs are actually open for the 2026 EWA Deal Room.
Ingenious companies can observe without delay thru:
Leisure Week Africa 2026
17–22 November 2026
Lagos, Nigeria
Final the Hole