Cascador has selected 10 Nigerian growth-stage companies for its 2026 ScaleUp Programme, signalling a growing shift in Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem towards businesses solving problems in healthcare, agriculture, energy, manufacturing and other parts of the real economy. The companies were selected from more than 1,000 qualified applications for the 12-week programme, which begins this month.
Cascador said the number of qualified applications more than doubled from 2025, suggesting a growing pool of Nigerian businesses that have moved beyond the startup phase and are seeking support to scale. The selected companies are Venco, SunFi, ColdHubs, EHA Clinics, Beauty Hut Africa, BEYOND Fitness, Ziba Beach Resort, Tulay Africa, Maanj Agric and Finger Chops.
Unlike many African startup programmes that concentrate heavily on fintech and technology businesses, the new cohort spans clean energy, food production, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, minerals, wellness, beauty and property technology. Cascador’s selection reflects its deliberate expansion into the real economy, where it sees significant opportunities for businesses capable of solving Nigeria’s infrastructure and consumer problems at scale.
“Tech solutions can be powerful and deliver exponential growth to investors, but they can’t address every problem or market need,” Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador, told BusinessDay. She said the organisation was intentionally opening its programme to real-economy businesses because they require the same strategic support, market access and appropriately structured capital needed by technology companies. The shift comes as Nigerian growth-stage companies face a more difficult funding environment.
Thomas said many businesses that have achieved product-market fit are struggling to make the transition to sustainable scale because they lack financial discipline, strong leadership, operational systems and access to the right type of capital. “Many founders think all they need is capital and the business will grow. But this oversimplifies the complex nature of the scale gap,” Thomas asserted.