Applications are open for the second cohort of Her Startup, a programme for African women founders aged 18–35 who run tech-enabled businesses. It combines intensive entrepreneurship training from the Founder Institute, a chance to pitch for seed financing of up to US$5,000, six months of mentoring, co-working space and a year of health cover.
Deadline: 26 October 2026. The programme is open to founders from any African country, and Francophone African founders are encouraged to apply.
About Her Startup
Her Startup was created to respond to the challenges women founders face in Africa’s startup ecosystem. It aims to guide and invest in early-stage, women-led African companies with high growth potential in emerging industries. The programme runs in four steps: selection, training, funding and mentoring.
Benefits
- Intensive entrepreneurship training from the Founder Institute, one of the world’s largest pre-seed accelerators. The programme covers the training costs.
- An allowance paid in stages during the training
- A certificate for founders who complete the training, and the chance to pitch to an investment committee for seed financing of up to US$5,000 (around US$5,000 on average, as convertible revenue-based financing)
- Six months of mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and experts for funded startups, with monthly meetings
- Access to co-working space and health cover for one year
- Support for further fundraising, based on performance
Who Can Apply?
You must meet all of these criteria:
- Be a female founder, co-founder or CEO of the business
- Be aged 18–35
- Run a tech-enabled business based in Africa (any African country)
- Have an MVP or a product already on the market
- Generate at least US$500 in monthly revenue, sustained for at least six months
Selection also considers your unique value proposition. No more than 20% of selected companies will be fintechs, and at least 15% will come from Francophone Africa.
How to Apply
- Check the eligibility criteria on the official Her Startup website.
- Complete the online application. It has six short sections and takes about 25 minutes, and your answers save on your device as you go.
- Submit by 26 October 2026.
Questions can go to [email protected].
More Opportunities for Women Founders
- WomanKind Creative Grant 2027: Free US$15,000 Rebrand for Femtech Startups
- 9 Opportunities for Women and Girls Open Now (October 2026)
- She Code Africa FuturHER AI Program 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Nigerian women founders apply to Her Startup?
Yes. The programme is open to founders from any African country who meet the criteria.
Is the US$5,000 a grant?
No. It is seed financing structured as convertible revenue-based financing, and you pitch for it after completing the training.
Does my startup need revenue?
Yes. You need at least US$500 in monthly revenue, sustained for at least six months.
When is the deadline?
26 October 2026.
