Are you a female startup founder looking to raise between $250K and $10M.?
We’re looking for up to 16 women founders leading innovative, high-growth scale-ups to showcase to the global network of Africa-focused investors. Are you operating in Africa, generating revenue, and looking to raise between $250K and $10M? This is the opportunity you’ve been looking for!
According to the Africa: The Big Deal report, in 2021 93% of the funding in Africa went to startups led by male CEOs. Looking at the makeup of founding teams, over 99% of the funding in 2021 was raised by a single male founder, or a founding team with at least one male co-founder.
VC4A has launched a call for women-led startups from throughout Africa, based on this understanding and as a community member dedicated to assisting the startup ecosystem. Apply if you are the CEO of a fast-growing startup with a demonstrable impact potential that is in the process of expanding its operations in the region.
Benefits of the Program
- Being recognized as 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase entrepreneur
- Participation in the VC4A Venture Showcase deal room, including 200+ early-stage investor organizations
- Professionally edited 3-minute virtual pitch featured at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (November 2-4, 2022)
- 30 min deep-dive session with investors in a private room
- Mentorship and technical support by partnering VC investors and corporates
- AWS Activate offers selected cohort credits, tools, resources, and more to quickly get started on AWS
- Joining the alumni network and having exclusive access to partner events and fundraising opportunities
Eligibility Criteria
- You have a very strong management team of at least 3 people including one (or more) woman founder;
- Your company is for-profit and registered as an independent legal entity;
- You have a product or service available on the market and generate revenue;
- Your product or service is clearly innovative and/or your business model is new, disruptive and designed for scale;
- Your team is based in one or more countries on the African continent;
- At least one of the founders has an African nationality;
- You are seeking Seed or Series A investment in the range of $250K – $10M;
- While there will be exceptions, most likely your startup has already received external investment, structured as either debt or equity, or received grants from donor organizations.
Selection Criteria
Commercial Value of your Product/Service (25%)
Your company addresses a real problem in the market. Your product or service is different from others in the industry. Your business model is new and designed for scale.
Strategy for Growth (25%)
The market size is significant and there is potential to expand locally and into new markets. Your startup is scalable and has a clear strategy for growth. You can show demonstrable progress.
Management Team (25%)
Your team has the qualifications needed to make the business successful. Management team members have complementary expertise.
Market Traction & Financials (25%)
We will evaluate your market traction, revenue streams, and unit economics. If any outside funding has been raised before, it’s a plus.
Application Process
Program Deadline is May 27th 2022
For More Details Visit VC4A Ventures Showcase Africa
