Startup Afghanistan: Pros and Cons of Local Accelerators

The Accelerator Conundrum is a multipart series that challenges the prevailing wisdom of the tech startup ecosystem that entrepreneurs should Blitzscale out of the gate. Written by Sramana Mitra, the Founder and CEO of One Million by One Million (1Mby1M), the world’s first global virtual accelerator, it emphatically argues that a better strategy is to Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later, focus on customers, revenues and profits. 1Mby1M’s mission is to help a Million entrepreneurs reach a million dollars in annual revenue and beyond. Sramana’s Digital Mind AI Mentor virtually mentors entrepreneurs around the world in 57 languages. Try it out!

While Afghanistan has seen various entrepreneurship programs, none have been able to establish long-term, stable support for startups. Below is a comparative view:

Systemic Gaps

1. No Continuous Support: Programs tend to be project-based and time-limited.
2. Equity Pressure Absent but Funding Scarce: Startups are rarely offered early-stage capital, forcing reliance on grants or family funds.
3. Geographic Concentration: Resources are focused on Kabul, leaving rural entrepreneurs behind.
4. Political Instability: Programs stop and start depending on the geopolitical climate.

The absence of a stable, scalable platform creates high failure rates. Many founders gain initial training but lack ongoing mentorship to grow their ventures into sustainable businesses. In Part 4, we will explore how 1Mby1M can uniquely address these challenges.

Why 1Mby1M Is a Game Changer

Afghanistan’s entrepreneurs need a borderless, virtual accelerator that can provide continuous support, independent of physical infrastructure or political shifts. 1Mby1M is uniquely designed to meet these needs.

How 1Mby1M Addresses Afghan Challenges

Key Advantages

1. No-Equity Model: Founders retain full ownership — critical in a country with limited legal and investor infrastructure.
2. Structured Curriculum: Step-by-step methodology for building sustainable, profitable ventures.
3. Digital AI Mentor: 24/7 support in English, bridging time zone and access barriers.
4. Global Community: Afghan founders can connect with peers worldwide for inspiration and market access.

With 1Mby1M, Afghan entrepreneurs are no longer dependent on fragile, aid-driven local programs. They can independently pursue entrepreneurship as a viable, sustainable path.

The 1Mby1M Digital AI Mentor is immensely valuable for Afghan entrepreneurs because it provides scalable, on-demand guidance that no local accelerator or NGO can match. In a country where political instability and geographic isolation limit access to consistent mentorship, the AI Mentor ensures that founders — whether in Kabul, Herat, or rural provinces — can receive instant, actionable advice 24/7. It delivers step-by-step guidance on bootstrapping, customer acquisition, and strategic growth, tailored to the founder’s stage and sector. Unlike human mentors, it can simultaneously support hundreds of entrepreneurs, making high-quality acceleration accessible to the entire country, including women and rural entrepreneurs who face social or logistical barriers to in-person programs. By combining practical expertise with limitless scalability, the AI Mentor effectively bridges Afghanistan’s mentorship gap and empowers founders to build sustainable, revenue-generating ventures.

One Million by One Million (1Mby1M) is the first global virtual accelerator in the world, founded in 2010 by Silicon Valley serial Entrepreneur Sramana Mitra. It offers a fully online entrepreneurship incubation, acceleration and education resource for solo entrepreneurs and bootstrapped founders working on tech and tech-enabled services ventures. 1Mby1M does not charge equity, offers an AI Mentor in 57 languages, and offers a distinct advantage over other accelerators including Y Combinator.

This segment is a part in the series : Startup Afghanistan