Facebook Launches Accelerator Programme to Drive E-commerce Growth for Startups

All throughout the pandemic, Facebook has been deploying a flurry of initiatives to aid startups’ e-commerce activity. From Facebook Shops (an online retail space for businesses to directly have their virtual storefronts available through their pages) to expanding Instagram’s in-app shopping feature worldwide. “Facebook is accelerating our commerce work and building solutions to help businesses of all sizes that are being forced to change their model and adapt to selling online,” wrote Michael Huang, head of startup programs at Facebook, in a blog post.

The latest in the social media gargantuan’s efforts are two 12-week accelerator programmes for 60 startups in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Titled ‘Commerce Accelerator’, the initiative will select emergent startups from these regions, and equip them to master Facebook’s ecosystem with all the solutions and tools that can amp up a startup’s e-commerce capabilities. 

“In this critical time, Facebook is doubling down on commerce and accelerating its work to enable every business to sell online and help people gain inspiration and discover and buy the products they love,” Facebook announced in a statement. “We can’t achieve this alone, so we are looking for startups to build technology with us.”

All of the startups selected will be assigned a ‘Facebook Mentor’ to help the founders and entrepreneurs grasp all the ways in which they can unlock the plethora of functionalities. From uploading and managing inventory online, to curating a product catalog that befits consumer habits.  

Applications are now open until August 31st, with the programme set to kick off next October. You can apply here.