Applications Open For The TechByHer Accelerator For Female Entrepreneurs

Are you a female entrepreneur facing challenges raising funds in the male-dominated tech sector, and looking for an opportunity to grow and scale your business? Do you desire training, ecosystem support, resources, a dedicated business coach, and access to industry leaders? Would you like to connect with other female founders in the tech ecosystem, share learnings and experiences, and expand your Pan-African networks? Are you looking for a way to make an impact in your community?

The Tech By Her Accelerator is supporting female-led tech ventures in becoming globally competitive and sustainable brands. It is powered by MEST with support from the Tech Entrepreneurship Initiative, ‘Make-IT in Africa’, (implemented by Deutsche für Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The purpose of the Tech By Her Accelerator program is to develop a strong Pan African female entrepreneurship community. We’re achieving this by mentoring female founders and building an alumni network of successful Tech By Her Accelerator participants who become ambassadors for other upcoming founders.

It is a 3-month industry-agnostic program for ten (10) female founders of early-stage tech companies in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. The program aims at fueling growth among female-led businesses by recognizing and maximizing the unique strengths of the female entrepreneur and equipping them with the needed knowledge, tools, and resources to scale and sustain their businesses in a competitive environment.

The Tech By Her Accelerator kicks off with a virtual interactive session, introducing fellows to their mentors and orienting participants on what they can expect from the program.

After the orientation, the selected participants of the Tech By Her Accelerator program (founders) will meet in Accra, Ghana for a ten-day immersion bootcamp, all expenses paid. The cohort will interact and deep dive into specific business verticals for growth, scalability, and sustainability, led by industry leaders and mentors who understand the technology industry and can provide valuable insight into each unique business.

Following the bootcamp, participants will return to their home countries where they will organize a community-building event for females in the tech space. They will work with the local MEST teams to put this together. They’ll also continue the mentoring programme virtually, meeting at least once a month with their mentors.

The accelerator program culminates with a five day all expenses paid meetup in Accra, Ghana. The founders will receive hands-on training, mentoring, and access to industry leaders who will share their experiences and expertise from across the continent. The founders will also have the opportunity to pitch in front of a panel of investors.

Through the program, participants will gain skills to take their businesses to the next level, be provided space and opportunity to tell their stories and position themselves as champions for Pan-African Tech By Her Accelerator.

Eligibility Criteria

The program will select ten (10) of the best and most impactful female entrepreneurs in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya. Outside of drive, ambition, and a genuine interest in the growth of your business, you should also:

Be a founder/co-founder of your organisation, female and available to participate fully in all aspects of the
Be an early-stage startup and have achieved commercialisation and monetisation phase.
Be technology-based, or have technology as the core enabler of the business.
Have begun operations at least one (1) year before applying for this program and have a live product or service on the market.
Be an African national or resident and have registered the business in one of the three operational countries (Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya).
Have evidence of revenue and a clearly demonstrated potential to scale.
Be a business model with a social impact, i.e. with a solution to a problem as described in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (locally and/or globally)
Be willing to organize at least one (1) community event in your operational country with support from the local MEST office.
Be willing, as a founder, to be an ambassador of the program and of tech entrepreneurship, encouraging and motivating other females in the entrepreneurial space.

Selection Dates (2020):

Applications Open: 17th Feb

Applications Close: 13th March

Shortlisting: 14th-15th March

Selection Panel Sits: 16th March

Interviews: 17th-19th March

Announcement of Selected Candidates: 20th March

Click here to apply to the program