Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme

The Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme (hosted by WomHub in partnership with the AfricaGrow Technical Assistance Facility, KfW DEG Impact, and BMZ) is a three-phase investment-readiness and capital deployment program designed for high-growth female-led STEM ventures in Southern Africa.

• Catalytic Grant Capital: Top graduating founders unlock direct access to pitch for a share of up to €60,000 EUR in non-dilutive catalytic funding.

• Equity Terms: 0% Equity / 100% Non-Dilutive Grant (plus post-investment technical assistance).

• 3-Phase Acceleration Structure:

  • Phase 1 (Pipeline Development): 45 selected ventures undergo structured business development, operations, and financial management training.

  • Phase 2 (Investor Readiness): Top 20 ventures advance to due-diligence prep, financial modeling, and investor pitch refinement.

  • Phase 3 (Capital Deployment): 5 to 10 businesses receive direct catalytic funding and ongoing post-investment advisory.

To qualify for the program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Founder Profile: Must be a female founder or co-founder.

2. Sector Focus: Operating within STEM sectors (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Manufacturing).

3. Geographic Scope: Based in or operating within Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, or Zimbabwe).

4. Venture Stage: Post-revenue or revenue-generating business demonstrating strong growth potential, investment readiness, and a commitment to sustainability/ESG principles.