Her Startup Opens Applications for Second Cohort to Support African Women Tech Founders

Her Startup, an accelerator supporting women-led technology startups in Africa, has opened applications for its second cohort, targeting 10 early-stage women founders seeking to build investment-ready businesses.

The initiative, spearheaded by KSH Foundation, Tomorrow Foundation and EHA Impact Ventures, will offer selected entrepreneurs a 12-week training programme delivered by Founder Institute, a global pre-seed startup accelerator.

Applications for the 2026/2027 cohort are open to eligible women founders across the continent, with entrepreneurs from Francophone Africa particularly encouraged to apply. The deadline is October 26, 2026.

The programme comes amid persistent disparities in startup financing across Africa. Women account for 58 per cent of the continent's self-employed population but secured less than one per cent of the more than $2 billion raised by African startups in 2025, according to figures cited by Her Startup.

The accelerator seeks to address the gap by combining entrepreneurship training, access to capital, mentorship and investor networks within a single programme.

Selected founders will have their Founder Institute training fees covered and receive a monthly stipend to support their participation. They will also have an opportunity to pitch to Her Startup's Investment Committee for funding through convertible, revenue-based financing.

The package includes 12 months of mentorship matched to each business's sector, alongside access to Founder Institute's global network.

To qualify, applicants must be women aged between 18 and 35 who are founders or chief executive officers of technology-enabled businesses. Their ventures must have operated for at least six months and generate a minimum of $500 in monthly gross revenue.

Khalil Halilu, co-founder of Her Startup and founder of KSH Foundation, said the initiative seeks to build an ecosystem in which women entrepreneurs can develop and expand their businesses.

"Together, we can create a thriving ecosystem where women entrepreneurs are empowered to lead, innovate and succeed. I look forward to the incredible impact Her Startup will have, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa and around the world," Halilu said.

The second cohort follows a pilot programme conducted in 2024/2025 that attracted more than 200 applications from 18 African countries. Ten founders were selected for training, while three ventures secured funding at the programme's Pitch Day in Lagos in April 2025.

According to the organisers, participating founders have since secured grants and awards, attracted investor interest and gained greater visibility for their businesses.

One of the programme's beneficiaries is Dynalimb Technologies, which develops affordable 3D-printed prosthetics.

Blessing Aniefiok, the company's chief operating officer and a 2024 Her Startup associate, said the business had recorded increased customer adoption and product sales following its participation in the programme.

"Since Her Startup, we've seen a steady rise in customer adoption and product sales, as more amputees experience the comfort and mobility that Dynalimb's affordable 3D-printed prosthetics provide," Aniefiok said.

The programme's partners say the second cohort will build on these early results and extend support to more women-led ventures across Africa.

Maggie Gu, co-founder of Her Startup and president of Tomorrow Foundation, said technological progress was creating new opportunities for women to shape businesses and economies.

"For thousands of years, physical strength and traditional structures of power placed women at a disadvantage in shaping economies and societies. Human progress and technological development have gradually changed that equation," Gu said.

She added that advances in technology were creating opportunities for women to take leadership roles in developing future businesses and solutions.

"Today, intelligence, creativity and judgment can be amplified as never before, opening a historic opportunity for women, not merely to participate in the future, but to stand at the forefront and help lead it. That is the deeper purpose of Her Startup," she said.

The financing model is another feature of the accelerator. Rather than relying solely on conventional lending or equity investment, Her Startup plans to provide convertible, revenue-based financing, under which repayments are linked to a company's revenue.

Evelyn Castle, co-founder of Her Startup and EHA Impact Ventures, said the approach was intended to give founders financing arrangements suited to the needs of early-stage businesses.

"It's not enough to just give these companies financing. It's about giving them financing that will truly help them succeed," Castle said.

She described convertible, revenue-based financing as a founder-friendly mechanism that could help participating businesses grow while providing a different route to accessing capital.

Through the partnership, the organisers aim to combine business training with financing and longer-term mentorship to help women founders strengthen their operations, attract investment and expand their reach.

Women entrepreneurs interested in the 2026/2027 cohort can review the eligibility requirements and submit applications through **www.her-startup.com** before the October 26 deadline.