Resilience17 (formerly Berrywood), the rebranded venture fund and studio founded by Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, has launched a new AI-focused accelerator, Go Time AI, aimed at supporting African startups working on artificial intelligence products.
Initially launched in 2021 as Berrywood with portfolio companies like Klasha, Pivo, AltSchool, and Bamboo, the venture studio will offer up to $200,000 in funding and mentorship to selected startups, in exchange for 8% equity ownership.
The first cohort of the accelerator Go Time AI launched in 2024, providing participating startups with financial support, technical resources, and guidance from industry experts. Startups selected for the accelerator will receive up to $200K in funding—starting with an initial $25,000, followed by up to $175,000 in subsequent rounds. The program provides access to cloud computing credits and API services to help build, test, and scale AI products.
“Despite challenges acutely highlighted in 2024, Nigeria is poised to continue leading as a global technology hub and can lead in AI. We launched Go Time AI to prove this thesis. After the last 4 months working closely with the 1st cohort of AI companies, that conviction has only become stronger,” said Hasan Luongo, General Partner of Resilience17.
As AI dominates global discourse, African founders are working to carve out their place in the industry. However, access to capital, infrastructure, and technical expertise remains challenging. The accelerator aims to bridge this gap, providing funding, mentorship, and resources to help African startups build and scale competitive AI products.
Go Time Accelerator launch comes after Iyin Aboyeji, the founder of the VC firm Future Africa, and Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani launched Accelerate Africa, an accelerator styled to be the YC of Africa. The accelerator launch also comes after Massimiliano Spalazzi, former Jumia Nigeria CEO and Olumide Soyombo, a Nigerian angel investor launched JADA, a data & analytics talent hub to help companies across the world access AI talents on the contient.
Last year, Go Time AI admitted five startups into its first cohort. The five startups—which presented their pitches at its demo day in January 2025—include: Catlog, an AI-bot that helps businesses sell, manage customer inquiries, take payments, and deliver goods via Instagram and WhatsApp; Sahel AI, an AI-powered contract review and drafting tool for law firms and in-house legal teams; Tyms, an AI-powered accounting software for small businesses; AI Teacha, an AI powered tool that helps teachers with lesson planning, presentations, and learning material development; FriendNPal, a 24/7 mental health AI companion and live therapy platform.
The selected startups recieved $25,000 upfront and will recieve and up to $175,000 more in two subsequent rounds. The accelerator doesn’t have a dedicated fund but draws from Resilience17’s $35 million fund pool. It also has no fixed cohort size and remains open to accepting more startups.
The accelerator begins with a kickoff week in Lagos, followed by a four-month program designed to provide founders with hands-on learning and mentorship. Every two weeks, participants gather for in-person Demo Nights, where they showcase progress and receive feedback engage with investors, mentors, and peers.
A core part of the accelerator is Office Hours, where founders engage in deep-dive discussions on critical aspects of their startups. These sessions cover technical development, product strategy, and go-to-market (GTM)/growth tactics. Founders receive direct guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts who share insights based on real-world experience.
In the first cohort, founders learned from experts like Wiza Jalakasi from EBanx, Olusola (Olu) Amusan, is Co-founder and CEO at Vesti, Samee Zahid of Chippercasj, Yewande Akomolafe-Kalu of Flutterwave and many others.
“Our goal was not to teach founders how to run a company but specifically narrow the focus on what we see as the most important things any early stage companies should be focused on. Building a world class product experience and getting users into the product and to the magic moment where they see clear value,” Luongo added.
Go Time AI is off to a strong start, with participating founders confirming that it delivered on its promise—to sharpen their storytelling, refine financial models, enhance product thinking, and connect them with corporates and investors. Applications for the second cohort will open in May 2025.
