Crelligent Foundry

Prove the market. Install the system. Then scale.

Crelligent Foundry designs the whole system a new venture runs on, builds it, launches it and proves it works. Founders validate, design, build and launch with one team. Established companies co-build their next venture with us doing the build.

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No equity.No cohort.You own everything we build.

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The problem

Capital is back. Patience is not.

African startup funding recovered in 2025. But the money is going to fewer companies, in bigger cheques. Investors want evidence before the meeting, not after it. The founders who raise are the ones who can prove the market and show the team can deliver.

43%

of failed VC-backed startups cited poor product-market fit. Two-thirds of those never found a market.1

CB Insights, 2026

−38%

fewer seed deals in Africa than at the 2021 peak. Series A cheques got 21% bigger while round count fell.2

Partech, 2026

−21%

drop in Nigerian startup equity funding in 2025, to $412M.2

Partech, 2026

3×

more likely: novice venture builders launching without good product-market fit, compared with experienced builders.15

McKinsey, 2024

Global figures 1,15 are global data; 2 is Africa-wide and Nigeria-specific.

2025 recovered 40% but is still about a third below the 2022 peak.

African startup funding, 2021–2025 · Deals of $100k+ (equity, debt, grants; exits excluded)

African startup funding, 2021–2025Bar chart of African startup funding in US dollars. 2021: over 4.3 billion. 2022: 4.8 billion. 2023: 2.9 billion. 2024: 2.2 billion. 2025: 3.2 billion, up 40% on 2024 and about a third below the 2022 peak.2022 peak$4.3B+2021$4.8B2022$2.9B2023$2.2B2024$3.2B2025+40%
Source: Africa: The Big Deal 4,5,6, via BusinessDay 7 and Connecting Africa 8.

Running out of cash is how startups die. Poor PMF is often why.

Why VC-backed startups shut down · 431 shutdowns since 2023; 385 with known causes; multiple reasons allowed (sums exceed 100%)

Why VC-backed startups shut downHorizontal bar chart of the reasons VC-backed startups shut down, as a share of startups citing each reason. Ran out of capital: 70%. Poor product-market fit: 43%. Bad timing / macro: 29%. Unsustainable unit economics: 19%. Multiple reasons were allowed, so the shares sum to more than 100%.Ran out of capital70%Poor product-market fit43%Bad timing / macro29%Unsustainable unit economics19%
Source: CB Insights, 2026 1. Global data.

Series A average ticket up 21% year on year

Fewer, bigger bets: seed vs Series A in Africa, 2025

Seed Series A
Fewer, bigger bets: seed vs Series A in Africa, 2025Paired bars comparing seed and Series A rounds in Africa in 2025. Total raised: seed 462 million US dollars, Series A 610.6 million. Number of rounds: seed 311, Series A 95. Average ticket: seed 1.7 million US dollars, Series A 7.0 million. Each row uses its own scale.Total raised (USD M)$462M$610.6MNumber of rounds31195Average ticket (USD M)$1.7M$7.0M

Each row uses its own scale.

  • Seed deal count down 38% since 2021 peak2
  • Series A average ticket up 21% year on year2
Source: Partech, 2025 Africa Tech Venture Capital Report 2.

Problem → solution

Every problem has a fix. Here is ours.

Eight problems we see in founders' companies, the evidence behind each, and what Foundry installs.

If you're an early-stage founder

Path 1 · Validate & scale
01

You think you have PMF. You can't prove it.

Evidence43% of failed startups cite poor PMF1

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Scores PMF across 10 weighted dimensions and shows which ones are pitch-ready

Foundry Sprint
02

Investors write fewer, bigger cheques.

EvidenceSeed deals −38% since 2021 peak; Series A ticket +21%2

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Investor Readiness Assessment and a PMF Narrative Framework built from your evidence

Raise Ready
03

Nigeria is the tightest raise in years.

EvidenceNigeria equity −21% to $412M2; Nigeria's share of African funding at its lowest since 20199

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Makes your case before the meeting, with the data investors check first

Raise Ready
04

Seed to Series A takes longer than your runway.

EvidenceUnder 30% of seed cohorts reach Series A in 2 years11; median 22 months from last raise to shutdown1

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Installs the L2 Operating Model so the runway you have goes further

Foundry Build
05

Customers churn because delivery is inconsistent.

EvidenceDelivery that depends on the founder is the first thing to break as a team grows

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

L2 first: processes, roles and decision rights, mapped to the retention and referral dimensions they lift

Foundry Build
06

You are hiring ahead of the system.

Evidence70% of startups scaled prematurely; none passed 100,000 users14

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Diagnoses L1, L2 and L3 and designs only what your stage needs

Foundry Blueprint

If you're a growing startup

Path 2 · Venture build
07

Your second product could fail like most new launches.

Evidence76% of FMCG launches fail in year one16; novices 3× likelier to build without PMF15

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Validates demand, pricing and PMF evidence before you commit build budget

Foundry Venture
08

A new market costs more than it looks.

EvidenceExperienced builders use partners 1.4× more and are 2× likelier to hit scale targets15; 54 regulatory regimes19

What Foundry does
What Foundry does:

Our team co-builds with yours, from validation to launch, so your core team stays on the core

Foundry Venture

Most companies don't stall on strategy. They stall on L2.

  • L2 is the operating model: processes, roles and decision rights. In the ESRE OS Performance Score it carries a 1.4× weight, the highest of the five OS layers.
  • If L2 is missing at 400 staff, it was missing at 10. Startups are where it is cheapest to install.
  • ESRE OS Lite installs L1, L2 and L3, with L2 first.
  • L2 lifts the two PMF signals investors trust most: retention and referrals. A team that delivers the same way every time keeps customers, and customers who are kept tell others.

We're measuring how often this holds across Nigerian mid-market enterprises in the African Enterprise Health Index (AEHI). The inaugural edition publishes in Q4 2026.

  1. L1Business Design
    1.0×
  2. L2
    Operating ModelPrimary constraint

    Installed first

    1.4×
  3. L3Technology & Platform
    1.0×
L4 Data & Intelligence
L5 Governance, Risk & Control

Deferred until later stages.

Weights from the ESRE OS Performance Score.

Paths

Two ways in.

Crelligent Foundry
Path 1

Build and scale a startup

For: Founders, from idea to Series A.

Validate the idea, design the system, build it, launch it, then scale.

A Sprint tests demand with real customers. A Blueprint designs ESRE OS Lite: L1 Business Design, L2 Operating Model and L3 Technology & Platform, with L2 first because it is the primary constraint. Build delivers the product, its systems and the launch, and Partner stays with you as you scale.

  1. Validate
  2. Design (L2 first)
  3. Build and launch
  4. Scale
Tiers:Foundry SprintFoundry BlueprintFoundry BuildFoundry Partner
Apply for this path
Path 2

Co-build a venture

For: Established companies, development finance institutions and impact programmes.

Co-build your next venture with us.

A second product, a spin-out or a new market. We take it from blueprint to launch, with our team doing the build and AD+Vantage running the launch. You test demand before you spend, and your core team keeps running the core business.

  1. Blueprint
  2. Build
  3. Launch
  4. Measure
Tier:Foundry Venture
Apply for this path

How it works

From application to delivery in six steps.

  1. 1

    Apply.

    ~5 min

    Tell us where you are and what you want to achieve. Takes about 5 minutes.

  2. 2

    Discovery call.

    We review your traction, team and timeline, and find your primary constraint.

  3. 3

    Proposal.

    Fee agreed

    A fixed scope, timeline and fee, quoted for your company.

  4. 4

    50% deposit.

    50%

    Pay the deposit by secure invoice link. Work starts when it clears.

  5. 5

    Build and validate.

    We score, diagnose and install, working with your team week by week.

  6. 6

    Delivery and balance.

    50%

    You receive the deliverables. The remaining 50% is due on delivery.

Tiers

Five tiers, each matched to a phase of the ESRE method, so a venture is designed before it is built. Every client starts with a Sprint or a Blueprint. Every engagement is quoted for your company after a short discovery call.

Path 1 · Build and scale a startup

Founders with an idea or early product

Foundry Sprint

ESRE phase: Diagnostic

Find out if it is worth building before you spend on building it.

Quote on request

Scoped to your stage and goals

4–6 weeks

  • Market and competitor research
  • Customer interviews and problem–solution testing
  • Business model and unit economics
  • VeloDesk PMF Score as your baseline
  • A clear go / no-go report with the next step
Request a quote
Recommended start

Founders ready to commit

Foundry Blueprint

ESRE phase: Architecture

Design the whole system your venture runs on, before a line of code.

Quote on request

Scoped to your stage and goals

6–8 weeks

  • Everything in the Sprint
  • ESRE OS Lite blueprint: L1 Business Design, L2 Operating Model, L3 Technology & Platform
  • L2 first: processes, roles and decision rights
  • MVP specification, roadmap and build budget
  • Company registration and data-protection (NDPA) setup
Request a quote

Founders with a blueprint

Foundry Build

ESRE phase: Build

Build the product and the systems behind it, then launch it.

Quote on request

Scoped to your stage and goals

12–16 weeks

  • MVP, web or mobile, built by our team
  • CRM, finance and operations set up and connected
  • Payments with Paystack, in NGN and foreign currency
  • Dashboards that show how the business is running
  • Launch Essentials by AD+Vantage, with a VeloDesk score at launch
Request a quote

Ventures that are working and growing

Foundry Partner

ESRE phase: Evolution

A technical co-founder on retainer while the venture scales.

Quote on request

Scoped to your stage and goals

Monthly, 6-month minimum

  • Fractional CTO or COO
  • ESRE OS subscription and VeloDesk tracking
  • Quarterly reviews and an annual ESRE Health Score review
  • Systems scaled as the team grows, plus hiring support
Request a quote

The Sprint fee is credited against the Blueprint.

Path 2 · Co-build a venture

Established companies, development finance institutions and impact programmes

Foundry Venture

ESRE phase: Build, for established companies

Co-build a new venture: a second product, a spin-out or a new market.

  • Blueprint: demand, pricing and PMF evidence before you commit, and the full operating design
  • Build: our team designs and builds the product and its systems with you
  • Launch: Launch Pro or Launch Scale by AD+Vantage
  • Raise Ready, and measured results reported with VeloDesk

Quote on request

Scoped to your stage and goals

4–9 months, scoped per venture

Request a quote

Add-on

Add to any tier, or take on its own when a raise is close.

Founders preparing a raise

Raise Ready

Walk into investor meetings with evidence, not just a deck.

  • VeloDesk PMF Score with investor-shareable results
  • Financial model and pitch deck
  • Investor Readiness Assessment and PMF Narrative Framework
  • A data room investors can review

Quote on request

Scoped to your stage and goals

2–4 weeks, on its own or with any tier

Request a quote

Launch, by AD+Vantage

AD+Vantage

Launch is part of Foundry. It is delivered by AD+Vantage, our sister creative and marketing company under Chavion Holdings, inside your Foundry contract: one quote and one invoice from Crelligent. Foundry Build includes Launch Essentials; Foundry Venture includes Launch Pro or Launch Scale. You can upgrade any of them.

A new venture that needs to look credible

Launch Essentials

A brand and a presence that customers trust from day one.

Quote on request

Added to your Foundry quote

3–4 weeks

  • Full brand identity: logo, palette, type and guidelines
  • Landing page
  • Social setup and 30 days of launch content
  • VeloDesk baseline and a day-30 score

A venture going after its first customers

Launch Pro

A launch campaign built to bring in the first paying customers.

Quote on request

Added to your Foundry quote

6–8 weeks

  • Everything in Launch Essentials
  • Positioning, messaging and a website of up to 5 pages
  • Launch campaign and 60 days of content
  • Paid ads managed for 60 days, and a press release
  • VeloDesk scores at days 30 and 60

A funded launch that wants to own attention

Launch Scale

A full market entry: brand, film, media and a 90-day growth sprint.

Quote on request

Added to your Foundry quote

10–12 weeks

  • Everything in Launch Pro
  • Brand architecture, full website and a campaign microsite
  • Video commercial and influencer creative
  • 90-day paid growth sprint, media relations and a launch activation
  • VeloDesk scores at days 30, 60 and 90, and a review
  • Ad spend is always separate: you pay the platforms directly, or we bill it at cost.
  • After launch, AD+Vantage offers monthly growth retainers: Content Engine, Digital Growth and Performance.

50% on signing, 50% on delivery.

Nigerian clients are billed in NGN.

International clients: quoted and invoiced in USD, GBP or EUR.

Payments are processed securely by Paystack. Payments and receipts: billing@crelligent.com

Not an accelerator.

You hire us. You keep the company.

How Crelligent Foundry differs from accelerators
Accelerators oftenCrelligent Foundry
Take equityNo equity. You pay a fee, agreed upfront.
Run fixed cohorts and demo daysNo cohort. You start when you are ready.
Give advice and a networkWe design and install working systems and, on Build and Venture, do the build and the launch.
Share IP or terms with the programmeYou own everything we build: the systems, the code and the documents.

You pay only Crelligent. We pay our own team and contractors.

Library

Research for founders

What African investors are funding now, and the evidence that gets a founder through the door.

Browse the library

FAQ

Who is Foundry for?

Three groups:

  • Founders, from idea to Series A, who need to validate, design, build and launch with one team.
  • Established companies that want to launch a second product, a spin-out or a new market without pulling their core team off the core.
  • Development finance institutions and impact programmes that fund ventures and need them built properly, with measured results.
Do you take equity?

No. Foundry is a paid engagement. You own everything we build.

How much does Foundry cost?

It depends on your stage, team size, data and what we build. Request a quote and we will send a fixed scope, timeline and fee after a short discovery call. The fee does not change after you sign.

How does payment work?
  • 50% on signing and 50% on delivery.
  • You pay by a secure invoice link, processed by Paystack.
  • Nigerian clients pay in NGN. International clients are quoted and invoiced in USD, GBP or EUR.
What is the VeloDesk PMF Score?
  • A 0–100 score built from 10 weighted dimensions of product-market fit, from problem-solution fit to unit economics.
  • Retention carries the highest weight.
  • Every Foundry tier uses it: a baseline in the Sprint, scores at launch, and tracking in Partner. Raise Ready adds an Investor Readiness Assessment and a PMF Narrative Framework for investor conversations.
What does "install the operating system" mean?
  • We don't hand you a report and leave.
  • We design and put in place the processes, roles, decision rights and tools your team runs on (L1, L2 and L3 of the ESRE OS), and we work with your team until they run.
Who runs the launch?
  • AD+Vantage, our sister creative and marketing company under Chavion Holdings.
  • It works inside your Foundry contract, so you still have one quote, one invoice and one account lead from Crelligent.
We are outside Nigeria. Can we apply?

Yes. International clients are quoted and invoiced in US dollars, pounds or euros, and pay by card (USD) or bank transfer.

What happens after I apply?
  • We review your application and invite you to a discovery call.
  • If there is a fit, you receive a proposal with scope, timeline and fee.
  • Work starts when the deposit clears.

Raise on evidence. Scale on a system.

Apply in about 5 minutes. We reply with next steps after we review your application.

Apply to FoundrySee tiers

Not sure where you stand? Take the free 3-minute PMF snapshot

Sources

  1. Why Startups Fail: Top 9 Reasons, CB Insights, 2026. cbinsights.com(opens in new tab)
  2. 2025 Africa Tech Venture Capital Report, Partech, 2026. partechpartners.com(opens in new tab)
  3. Start-ups in Africa raised $3.2 billion in 2025, Africa: The Big Deal, 2026. thebigdeal.substack.com(opens in new tab)
  4. 2023: The Year of the Debt, Africa: The Big Deal, 2024. thebigdeal.substack.com(opens in new tab)
  5. 2021 in 21 numbers, Africa: The Big Deal, 2022. thebigdeal.substack.com(opens in new tab)
  6. Startup funding across Africa declined by 39% in 2023 (citing Africa: The Big Deal), BusinessDay, 2024. businessday.ng(opens in new tab)
  7. African startups raised $2.2B in 2024 (citing Africa: The Big Deal), Connecting Africa, 2025. connectingafrica.com(opens in new tab)
  8. Africa Investment Report 2025, Briter, 2026. briter.co(opens in new tab)
  9. Most Seed Startups Never Reach Series A, Carta, 2026. carta.com(opens in new tab)
  10. Premature Scaling: A Deep Dive, Startup Genome, 2011. startupgenome.com(opens in new tab)
  11. How CEOs are turning corporate venture building into outsize growth, McKinsey & Company, 2024. mckinsey.com(opens in new tab)
  12. 3 in 4 FMCG launches fail within a year (Nielsen), Marketing Week, 2014. marketingweek.com(opens in new tab)
  13. The expansion dynamics of African startups, Techpoint Africa, 2025. techpoint.africa(opens in new tab)