Centre for Digital Health Innovation (CDHI)
Healthcare Entrepreneurs and Mentors are encouraged to apply.
About the program
The Centre for Digital Health Innovation (CDHI), powered by The Nest Innovation Technology Park, is a 20–24 week incubation program for early-stage health-tech founders in Nigeria, with a path to scale across Africa. Through the StartCraft Incubation Program (SCIP), founders get mentors, funding, and product design support to refine their business models and become fund-ready.
What are the requirements to join as an entrepreneur?
- Must be aged between 18 and 35 years old.
- Must be a Nigerian citizen or have a registered, Nigeria-based venture.
- Must be the founder or co-founder of an early-stage health-tech project or startup with a clearly defined problem and solution.
- Must have access to an internet-enabled device to participate fully in virtual sessions, mentorship, and platform activities.
- Must commit to dedicating 5–7 hours per week to program activities for the full 20–24 week duration.
- Must be willing and able to pay the required commitment fee before gaining access to the incubation platform.
- Must demonstrate genuine commitment to their venture and a willingness to actively engage with the community of entrepreneurs, mentors, and program facilitators.
Benefits for Entrepreneurs
- One-on-one guidance from health-tech experts and industry mentors to help you navigate specific product, business, and clinical challenges.
- A structured curriculum focused on validating, designing, and scaling health-tech
solutions for the Nigerian market, with an emphasis on rapid iteration. - Access to a growing community of health-tech founders, mentors, and industry allies to build partnerships and long-term collaborations.
- Consistent guidance throughout the 20–24 week program to help you navigate key milestones and critical decision points.
- Exposure to funding opportunities and strategic connections with investors to support your venture’s growth and become fund-ready.
- Sharpen the management and leadership skills needed to scale a health-tech venture with confidence.
- Position your venture within Nigeria’s health-tech ecosystem, with a pathway to visibility and scale across Africa.
- A program structure that fits around your day-to-day operations, so you can keep building while you learn.
- Milestones and progress are recognized and rewarded as you implement what you learn throughout the program.
- Hands-on assistance navigating the incubation platform and program tools to help you get the most out of the experience.
Sign up
Deadline: 2026-07-23
Days
Hours
Organizer
Nest Hub
Town / Region
Nigeria
Sectors accepted for this program
Join as a mentor and help entrepreneurs in Africa achieve success!
We are looking for mentors who are committed to joining our incubation program. If you have a passion for entrepreneurship, have at least 5 years of professional experience and are committed to reviewing and monitoring your entrepreneur’s work before mentoring meetings, we want you to join us! We envision a fair, efficient and meritocratic society where innovation belongs to everyone. Sign up today and help Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs succeed!
What requirements must you have to mentor?
We are looking for mentors who are committed to joining our incubation program. If you have a passion for entrepreneurship, have at least 5 years of professional experience in healthcare management and business, and are committed to reviewing and monitoring your entrepreneur’s work before mentoring meetings, we want you to join us! We envision a fair, efficient and meritocratic society where innovation belongs to everyone.
- 3–5+ years of practical experience in any area of the health value chain: clinical practice, public health, pharmaceutical supply chains, health financing, digital/mHealth, WASH, nutrition, maternal & child health, NCDs, or climate-health.
- Open to: medical professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists), public health practitioners, health administrators, NGO/development professionals, health-tech founders, policy and regulatory professionals, nutritionists, WASH engineers, community health specialists, and medical supply chain professionals.
- Willingness to engage with early-stage founders. Prior mentoring experience is a plus, not a requirement. The mentor must be genuinely curious and supportive — not just expert.
- Able to communicate practically with entrepreneurs at varying levels of business sophistication.
- Comfortable giving honest, constructive feedback. Good listening is essential.
Minimum 1 hour/week over the incubation period (4–5 months). Sessions are virtual. - Participation is on a volunteer basis — no compensation is expected or required.
- Priority to professionals with direct experience in the Kenyan and/or Nigerian health ecosystem.
- Diaspora professionals with active engagement in Africa are welcome.
- English proficiency required,
- Clean professional record. No conflicts of interest with any incubated cohort company or competing accelerator.
Mentor Benefits
- Generate real impact
Support entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. - Clear methodology and training
Mentor with a guided, easy-to-follow, and results-oriented structure. - Expand your network
Connect with other mentors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem stakeholders. - Develop new skills
Strengthen your leadership, active listening, and strategic thinking. - Flexibility
Deliver value with sessions tailored to your availability. - Continuous learning
Exchange knowledge and stay connected to new ideas and business models. - Recognition
Receive certification and become part of an international community.
Program Timeline
Pre-Program Phases
- 8 Aug – 5 Sep 2025 → Scouting Phase (Ms&Es)
- 8 Aug – 5 Sep 2025 → Application Phase (Ms&Es)
- 8 Aug – 10 Sep 2025 → Shortlisting
Onboarding & Matching
- 10 Sep 2025 → Onboarding Entrepreneurs (Zoom, 1h 30m)
- 11 Sep 2025 → Onboarding Mentors (Zoom, 1h 30m)
- 11 Sep – 30 Sep 2025 → Matching Phase (B4B Incubation Platform, Ms&Es)
- 1 Oct – 8 Oct 2025 → Matching Phase Analysis (Platform)
- 8 Oct 2025 → Kick Off Call (Zoom, Entrepreneurs + Mentors)
Core Modules
- 8 Oct – 28 Oct 2025 → Module 1: Value Proposition
- 29 Oct – 11 Nov 2025 → Module 2: Competitor Map
- 12 Nov – 25 Nov 2025 → Module 3: Stakeholder Map
- 26 Nov – 9 Dec 2025 → Module 4: Business Model & Marketing
- 10 Dec 2025 – 6 Jan 2026 → Module 5: Pricing & Business Viability
- 22 Dec 2025 – 2 Jan 2026 → Holidays (pause)
- 7 Jan – 27 Jan 2026 → Module 6: Financial Projections
- 28 Jan – 10 Feb 2026 → Module 7: Impact Plan
- 11 Feb – 24 Feb 2026 → Module 8: Growth Plan
Closing Phase
- 8 Oct – 28 Oct 2025 → Module 1: Value Proposition
- 29 Oct – 11 Nov 2025 → Module 2: Competitor Map
- 12 Nov – 25 Nov 2025 → Module 3: Stakeholder Map
- 26 Nov – 9 Dec 2025 → Module 4: Business Model & Marketing
- 10 Dec 2025 – 6 Jan 2026 → Module 5: Pricing & Business Viability
- 22 Dec 2025 – 2 Jan 2026 → Holidays (pause)
- 7 Jan – 27 Jan 2026 → Module 6: Financial Projections
- 28 Jan – 10 Feb 2026 → Module 7: Impact Plan
- 11 Feb – 24 Feb 2026 → Module 8: Growth Plan
Program Timeline
Apply to participate in the program
Until September 15, 2025
Tell us more about yourself and your project by submitting your application. Our team will evaluate all applications from entrepreneurs and mentors who apply to the program.
Confirmation of selected profiles
Until 17 October 2025
We will review the completed applications through a selection process and select the participants for this edition of the programme.
Participate in the welcome session
18 and 19 January 2024
You will be invited to participate in an information session to welcome you to the incubation programme. In this session we will cover the programme schedule, your role, the role of mentors, the use of incubation tools to help you work on your business and much more.
Matching
Training of work pairs for entrepreneurs/mentors - 19 January - 31 January
Take part in our matching process! You will have the possibility to meet with the volunteer mentors from our Community that you think will be the best match for you and your project. Once you have met several mentors, both you and they will send us their preferences to let us know who they want to work with and we will make the best teams.
Start the incubation program
February - June 2024
Start the hybrid incubation experience with mentoring sessions, working tools and structured development. You will have 5 months to complete the incubation cycle and develop your validated business plan.
- You will work weekly with your personal mentor in one-on-one sessions to go through the 8 business modules.
You will have the incubation team on hand at all times to answer any questions you may have. - You will finish the programme developing a business plan and executive summary ready to present to potential investors.
Completion of incubation program
June 2024
Do you have any questions about the program?
Contact Ale Oluwasey, Incubation Manager of the program to answer all your questions.
This program is part of
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