Innovate Ventures Women Business Accelerator 2023 (up to $30,000)

Applications are open for the Innovate Ventures Women Business Accelerator 2023. The Women Accelerator is a 10-week programme that selects, offers essential business skills training, and funds female-owned startups in Somaliland.

The programme partners with VC4A, Telesom, and Oxfam as part of Work in Progress! Alliance. To date, the programme has graduated over 200 start-ups and has invested almost $250,000 in its graduates. As part of the acceleration package, you will receive training, mentorship by domain experts, access to an extensive business network, visibility, and a chance to get investment.

Innovate Ventures (IV) is proud to foster collaborations between existing and new ventures by directly supporting those with great ideas with training, mentorship, capital, and physical resources. The aim at making real, tangible and measurable contributions bottom-up. Their goal is to nurture innovation and make ideas shine.

Benefits

• 10 weeks of intensive training and business mentorship.
• Access to vast networks including leading banks.
• Pitching in front of local and international investors.
• Features in local and international media.
• Equity funding for winner startups of up to $30,000.

Eligibility

• Open to woman business owner or woman with a business idea.
• Age 18 – 35 years old.
• Business is based in Somaliland.
• The owners are committed to attending the accelerator programme in Hargeisa.

Application

• Complete the application form before March 21, 2023.
• The selected startups will get an invitation to the pre-accelerator bootcamp at the Innovate Ventures offices in Hargeisa by the first week of April.
• The top 15 start-ups from the bootcamp will participate in the 10 weeks accelerator programme where they will receive mentorship and business skills training from experienced entrepreneurs.
• At the end of the training the start-ups will pitch on Demo Day in front of a jury, media, and local and international investors.
• The top startups will receive up to $30,000 in equity investment from Innovate Ventures.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Women Business Accelerator.