Rent Small Small, a Nigerian property technology startup, has been accepted to join the Techstars Toronto Accelerator Programme starting this October. This makes it the first African property technology platform selected to join the programme.
Techstars is an operational investment company that helps founders and early-stage entrepreneurs scale their vision into a thriving business.
The Techstars Toronto Accelerator Program is designed to provide mentorship, funding, and access to the Techstars Network for life, beginning with the Demo Day at the end of the program. When selected, startups will be able to pitch to a carefully curated group of investors.
The 13-week accelerator program which selects early-stage companies from around the world begins on 18th October 2021 and ends with a demo day pitch to investors affiliated with Techstars. It provides entrepreneurs with invaluable skills, resources, and connections to a wide pool of global talent and investors.
Since it was launched in 2018 by Tunde Balogun (CEO), Naomi Olaghere, and Pidah Tnadah, Rent Small Small has been leveraging technology to revolutionise the property rental market in Nigeria.
So far, Rent Small Small has helped renters save N550 million on legal and agency fees and provided over 12,000 monthly stays across 18 locations in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Tunde Balogun, Rent Small Small’s CEO believes that joining Techstars accelerator at this time is right for the next growth phase of the company.
“Over the past 3 years, we focused on building a model that truly solves the rental problems and one that we can scale. Now that we have good traction and our solution is loved by both Landlords and Tenants, we need strong mentorship for our next growth phase. We believe that participating in the Techstars Toronto Accelerator at this time is right for us. Its network, skills, and resources are what we will be able to leverage as we expand”.
Speaking about Rent Small Small’s selection into Techstars Toronto Accelerator program, Sunil Sharma, Managing Director of the Toronto regional startup ecosystem said, “One thing that unites Canada with Africa is the challenge in finding available and affordable rental living in major cities, particularly for people just starting on their professional careers. When we met the team at RentSmallSmall, we immediately understood the problem that they are solving and even saw the parallels with our own situation here.
“If there is one industry that has captured the attention of Canadians it is real estate, and our belief is that our immediate network of property experts, landlords and tech and real estate investors will be of great value to Tunde and his team looking to make housing available to more people across Africa”
