In 2026, African startups are increasingly pressured to scale sustainably, build real revenue, and compete globally amid tightening capital flows, as Cerespark Labs and Techparley Africa joined forces to deliver a high-impact mentorship and knowledge-sharing webinar aimed at strengthening the continent’s next generation of founders.
The collaboration will culminate in a special open mentorship session scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026, bringing together African startup founders, many of whom are fellows of Techparley Africa’s DRIVE100 Accelerator Programme, with seasoned global operators and Silicon Valley–based investors.
Central to the session is Gregory Fox, a globally respected strategic alliances expert, Silicon Valley investor, educator, and mentor with Cerespark Labs, whose career spans some of the world’s most influential technology companies.
The session, tagged “Growth Corner: Building Startups that Thrive”, reflects a shared conviction between Cerespark Labs and Techparley Africa, that Africa’s startup future will not be built on hype or funding chases alone, but on validated business models, revenue discipline, partnerships, and ecosystem-led growth.
“Mr. Greg and other Silicon Valley investors like himself will be having some personal time with our startups during the course of the program,” Cerespark Labs said in a note released ahead of the session.
This shows a rare opportunity for African founders to engage directly with global decision-makers who have built, scaled, and funded technology businesses at the highest level.
The Cerespark Labs and Techparley Africa Collaboration
The partnership between Cerespark Labs, a profit-first startup accelerator, and Techparley Africa, a leading African technology media and ecosystem platform, is rooted in a shared mission to move founders away from unsustainable startup myths and toward execution-driven growth.
While Techparley Africa, through initiatives such as DRIVE100, focuses on spotlighting, accelerating, and connecting Africa’s most promising startups to opportunities, Cerespark Labs brings deep operational expertise in revenue generation, validation, AI-powered scaling, and long-term mentorship.
This collaboration leverages the strengths of both organisations, Techparley Africa’s access to a growing pipeline of ambitious African founders, and Cerespark Labs’ structured mentorship model that prioritizes profitability from day one, rather than fundraising as a first milestone.
What Is Cerespark Labs Doing Differently?
Cerespark Labs was founded on a contrarian but increasingly relevant insight, that most startups fail not because they lack funding, but because they pursue funding without a validated business core.
According to Cerespark Labs, many early-stage startups chase investment with untested products, weak revenue logic, and unclear market fit, often resulting in repeated cycles of instability or collapse. In contrast, the lab exists to help startups build profit-first, scalable, and investor-ready businesses from inception.
Through its accelerator model, Cerespark Labs runs 8–10 week cohort-based programs, followed by 6–9 months of structured mentorship, during which participating startups’ revenue and growth are tracked monthly using its ShareKPI tool. This ensures accountability, data-driven decision-making, and continuous course correction.
Beyond paid cohorts, Cerespark Labs also operates an open ecosystem where both participating and non-participating startups gain access to free bi-monthly webinars, expert-led sessions, and mentorship opportunities, such as the upcoming January 17 session.
“Our goal is to empower startups with the knowledge, tools, and exposure needed to build from a profit-first basis, prioritize growth and validation over fundraising, and scale faster with AI,” the organisation notes.
Meet Gregory Fox: Silicon Valley Expertise Handshakes African Ambition
At the heart of the upcoming session is Gregory Fox, whose career brings rare depth and global perspective to African startup mentorship.
Fox is currently Director of Business Development & Strategic Alliances at Reliant, a leading provider of edge computing platforms for the hospitality and retail sectors.
Across his career, he has led go-to-market strategies for more than 50 global strategic alliances and partner ecosystems, contributing over $5 billion in incremental revenue.
His professional journey includes senior leadership roles at Huawei, Cisco, Citrix, HPE, and Novell, where he worked across strategy, alliances, channels, marketing, and corporate business development, experience that directly translates into practical lessons for founders navigating growth and partnerships.
Beyond corporate leadership, Fox is an ICT industry keynote speaker, ecosystem builder, educator, and board advisor, serving organisations such as the American Management Association (AMA), International Data Corporation (IDC), Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP), TM Forum, and HK University of Science & Technology Business School.
He is also Dean of Applied Sciences at Ensign College, where he oversees business programs and entrepreneurial competitions. Fox’s outstanding professional career reflects a mentorship philosophy grounded in execution, alliances, and long-term value creation.
Why This Session Matters for African Startups and DRIVE100 Fellows
For many African founders, especially early-stage startups within the DRIVE100 Accelerator Programme, the challenge is no longer just building products, but structuring partnerships, unlocking enterprise opportunities, and scaling beyond local markets.
Gregory Fox’s expertise in partner-to-partner (P2P) models, OEM relationships, co-sell strategies, cloud ecosystems, ISVs, MSPs, and global systems integrators (GSIs) speaks directly to these challenges.
His understanding of how ICT infrastructure, AI, cloud, data centres, and connectivity drive GDP growth and digital transformation provides a macro-to-micro lens that few mentors can offer.
By creating a space for direct interaction between African founders and Silicon Valley operators, the Cerespark Labs–Techparley Africa collaboration bridges a long-standing gap between local innovation and global market realities.
Building Sustainable Startups Beyond Funding Narratives
The January 17 session underscores a growing shift within Africa’s tech ecosystem, from funding obsession to fundamentals.
As global investors increasingly seek proven traction, clear revenue models, and operational discipline, initiatives like this collaboration play a critical role in preparing startups for the realities of modern venture building.
By convening founders, global mentors, and ecosystem leaders in one room, virtual or otherwise, Cerespark Labs and Techparley Africa are reinforcing a powerful message, Africa’s startups can compete globally when equipped with the right mindset, partnerships, and execution frameworks.
The session is open to founders across the continent, with registration available ahead of the event.
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Session: Open Mentorship and Webinar
Registration is available here.
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