Innovation SL was selected by the Government of Sierra Leone and The World Bank Group to incubate and accelerate 20 business under the Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project.

Established in 2017, Innovation SL Ltd (Innosl) is an Entrepreneurship Support Organisation (ESO) and an Innovation & Technology Management company.

We own the Freetown Pitch Night, Innovations Axis Ltd (an incubator/accelerator and co-working space) and are the Global Entrepreneurship Network affiliate in Sierra Leone.

Innosl was established for the purpose of impacting Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurship and Innovation ecosystem, by identifying and implementing effective programs, initiatives, projects and policies that foster and support Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurs and Innovation ecosystem.

Our Mission is to enable Sierra Leone’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to source & develop impact start-ups and scale-ups, to contribute towards the development of ‘a better and more sustainable future’ for all Sierra Leoneans.

Our Vision is of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem where Sierra Leone’s largest companies, academic institutions, MDAs and development partners interact with ambitious entrepreneurs hungry for success; with talented individuals, graduates and alumni of entrepreneurial organisations providing a strong source of ‘cultural and intellectual capital’. All fuelled by highly networked and experienced mentoring and capital supported by our incubator and accelerator.

We believe Entrepreneurship to be a key source of economic diversification, job creation and business development. Hence, it is critical to attract the young and women to become entrepreneurs.

Our major focus is on building a vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem that will support disruptive, high-growth and value-creating Start-Up entrepreneurs & SMEs in Sierra Leone. Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) are important drivers of growth in economies across Sub Saharan Africa, accounting for up to 90% of all businesses in these markets.

As SMEs are critical to Africa’s development, so is the support needed to ensure the success of the entrepreneurs behind them. Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESO) are critical to the success of the entrepreneurship sector, providing entrepreneurs with business training, access to markets, networks and mentors, financial and social capital, and in-kind support. They are key to unlocking the pipeline of early-stage innovation in Africa, and driving investment and job creation across the continent.

High growth and value creating entrepreneurs, will attract investment, leading to the creation of employment, generating economic growth and facilitating social inclusion.

With this focus, Innosl’s fields of expertise are:

Finding and coaching entrepreneurs developing disruptive business models and solving important/meaningful problems while creating impact in society;
Developing digital solutions, contributing to a digital infrastructure to enable the development and growth of digital entrepreneurs;
Managing a co-working space and a combined Incubator and Accelerator (Innovations Axis);
Managing Freetown Pitch Night and running the Global Entrepreneurship Week SL, Future Agro Challenge and ‘Dare2Aspire’ – Women in Entrepreneurship; and
Partnering with other ecosystem actors in entrepreneurship development programs.