PROGRAM
Enhancing Women Entrepreneurship for Africa
The objective of the Project is to address gender inequality and inclusive economic empowerment for African women. Specifically, the Project aims at increasing the capacity and sustainability of enablers supporting Women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (WSMEs), as well as increase access to mentorship, funding and visibility for WSMEs.
Increased investment readiness through capacity building for WSMEs
Over the past years, many promising entrepreneurship support programs (ESOs) such as incubators, accelerators, university-based innovation hubs, maker spaces, technology parks, and co-working spaces, have been launched across the continent to help build more sustainable and successful startups that are relevant in Africa’s economy. However, these enablers are often limited in the support they are able to provide WSMEs due to lack of funding and network access, and lack of well-positioned services.
Program 2024-2025
Program 2024-2025: details
We’re looking for WSME's and Enablers that are operating in at least one of the following countries:
Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Angola, Mali, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gambia, Namibia, Cape Verde, Mauritius and Nigeria.
WSME’s should apply if they are:
- Between Seed and Growth Stage
- Based in one of the above countries
- Have at least one woman on the founding team
- Have a digital element in their product (example: Mobile application, Online Shop, SAAS product, etc.)
Enablers should register if they are:
- Based in one of the above countries
- Enhancing the viability and sustainability of WSMEs,
- Providing innovative approaches to ecosystem support designed to close the financing gap for WSMEs,
- Introducing innovative ways to provide capacity building for WSMEs,
- Providing digital presence and visibility to WSMEs,
- and Enhancing access to mentorship for WSMEs.
Timeline
Timeline: details
Applications
July 1st - August 14th
Investment Readiness Program
August - November 2024
Investor Roadshow
December 2024
Meet the startups - Cohort 1 2022-2023
Meet the startups - Cohort 1 2022-2023: details
About us
About us: details
AFAWA project
Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) is a pan-African initiative of the African Development Bank, which aims to reduce the estimated $42 billion financing gap that affects women entrepreneurs in Africa. AFAWA offers a multi-pronged approach to address the constraints women entrepreneurs face in Africa.
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Growth Africa
GrowthAfrica is a leading Pan-African accelerator and entrepreneur support organisation (ESO). We scale and support ambitious and impactful entrepreneurs leading growth startups, scalable ventures and expanding SMEs. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Kenya, GrowthAfrica is a leading African impact accelerator and entrepreneur support organisation. Our quest is to develop the continent’s promising ventures and impact enterprises into prosperous members of our societies, creating much-needed job opportunities, economic wealth, and social transformation. We drive investment- and market readiness through cohort-based programmes and tailored support services to increase the rate and scope of success for African entrepreneurs. Since 2002 GrowthAfrica has supported over 1,800 businesses flourish, and run 34 flagship acceleration programmes (+6 currently ongoing) across 6 countries where we have offices and full-time teams.
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Seedstars
Seedstars is a Swiss-based group with the mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. Seedstars connects stakeholders, builds companies from scratch with public and private partners and invests in high-growth ventures within these ecosystems. Seedstars aims at fostering impact investing and impact entrepreneurship over the world. Through different activities, that range from venture scouting, events organization to company building and entrepreneurial education programs.
MORE DETAILSLet’s impact together emerging markets
Having the biggest positive impact in emerging markets is our mission and purpose as a company.