Cascador selects 10 Nigerian businesses for its 2026 ScaleUp programme

Cascador has selected 10 Nigerian businesses for its 2026 ScaleUp Programme, a 12-week programme for companies that are already operating and looking to grow. More than 1,000 businesses applied for the programme, according to Cascador. The selected companies operate across sectors including clean energy, healthcare, agriculture, property, beauty, tourism, food production and critical minerals. The 10 businesses are Venco, SunFi, ColdHubs, EHA Clinics, Beauty Hut Africa, BEYOND Fitness, Ziba Beach Resort, Tulay Africa, Maanj Agric and Finger Chops.

The businesses in the cohort

Venco runs a digital platform for multi-tenant communities. It helps residents and property managers handle payments, utilities, communication and other services. SunFi is a clean energy financing company, while ColdHubs provides solar-powered cold storage for farmers, traders and food businesses. 

Cold storage is a practical problem for Nigeria’s food businesses. Farmers and traders can lose produce when it cannot be stored properly before it reaches the market. EHA Clinics provides primary healthcare through physical clinics, digital services, pharmacies and home care services. Beauty Hut Africa operates in beauty retail and distribution, using technology to manage parts of its business. The other companies come from a mix of industries. BEYOND Fitness operates in wellness, while Ziba Beach Resort is a tourism and leisure business. Tulay Africa connects international industrial buyers with African producers of critical minerals. Maanj Agric connects smallholder farmers with financing, and Finger Chops produces and distributes bread to households across Nigeria. These businesses have very different models. Some need to manage physical infrastructure and supply chains, while others are more focused on technology, services or financing.

Cascador will assess how the businesses are run

The programme will run for 12 weeks. The first two weeks will take place in person, followed by 10 weeks of virtual sessions. Founders will attend with members of their leadership teams. Cascador will assess the businesses across areas including finance, operations, legal matters and technology. This is important for companies that are moving from a small operation to a larger one. A process that works when a company has a small number of customers can become difficult to manage once the customer base grows. The same applies to accounting, staff management, reporting and internal systems. Cascador said the support will be tailored to each business rather than giving all 10 companies the same programme. Founders will also get access to investors, advisers, industry experts and strategic partners through Cascador’s network.

There is also a funding opportunity

The selected companies will be eligible for follow-on funding through Cascador’s Catalytic Fund. The fund can deploy up to $5 million a year through equity, local-currency debt and guarantees. Access to funding is one of the bigger issues for businesses trying to expand in Nigeria. A company may already have customers and revenue but still need more money to buy equipment, hire employees, increase production or enter another market. Cascador’s funding is therefore another part of the programme, although being selected does not mean that every company will receive investment. The programme will end with a live Pitch Day, where the 10 companies will compete for $50,000 in awards.

Cascador has backed more than 70 ventures

Cascador has been operating since 2019 and says it has supported more than 70 ventures that have collectively raised $125 million. Previous companies supported by Cascador include digital lending platform Sycamore, energy company Koolboks, logistics company Fex Delivery, mobility company Drive45 Mobility and payments infrastructure provider Lenco. The organisation has also started working with the Nigerian government. 

In August, Cascador partnered with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development through the Nigerian Youth Academy on a programme for young entrepreneurs. The ScaleUp programme is aimed at a different type of business. These are companies that have already built products or services and are running businesses. 

Their challenge now is dealing with the financial, operational and management issues that come with getting bigger. David DeLucia, co-founder of Cascador, said the programme is focused on helping businesses that have already proved there is demand for what they offer. “The next chapter of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial story will be about what happens when proven businesses get the support they need to scale,” he said. Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador, said the businesses in the cohort are already creating jobs and operating across several sectors of the Nigerian economy. Cascador plans to run another ScaleUp cohort in 2027. Applications are expected to open in November 2026.