PR is crucial to the overall growth and development of any startup, and no one understands this better than Claudine Moore. Moore is a PR and communications expert with over 13 years of experience helping startups navigate media relations and shape public perceptions. In Africa, female entrepreneurs receive less funding and visibility than their male counterparts which has affected their ability to scale. This spurred Moore to create a mentorship program, The Future is Female Mentorship Program, that showed women how to gain visibility for their startups and position themselves for funding opportunities.
For the fourth edition of the program this year, 20 African female-led tech startups listed below have been selected out of 490 applicants from 37 countries across Africa. During the selection process led by judges; Enki Toto, Femi Agboola, and Michelle Agbodohu, special consideration was given to startups focusing on areas like health, education, finance, agriculture, and sustainability. Startups that provide solutions and/or address African women’s and girls’ needs also received special consideration. The 2023 edition has been supported by Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund and F6S expanding the scale and reach of the initiative.
Here’s the complete list of all founders selected from across the continent.
EGYPT
- Mai Shakweer, Founder of AutoMechanic, which connects car owners in Cairo with local mechanic services and workshops.
KENYA
- Juliet (Shiro) Njoroge, founder of Mosmos Africa, a Save Now Buy Later (SNBL) platform, enabling Kenyans to save-to-buy conveniently with the Mosmos app.
- Celeste Tchetgen Vogel, founder of e-Waka Mobility, a full-service platform for businesses to make cheaper, eco-friendly deliveries with tried and tested electric bikes.
- Natasha Makindu, founder of Paydel, a social commerce fulfilment platform that aggregates logistics services on demand.
- Fridah Karani, founder of Hela Money, a next-generation trade platform bridging traditional and digital finance enabling businesses to build for the future.
- Jackie Kamau, founder of The Laundry Lady, an on-demand laundry, dry cleaning service offering convenient pick-up, wash and delivery, with a focus on high-quality service at affordable rates.
- Elizabeth Nduta, founder of Gwiji, a startup that empowers low-income Kenyan women with training and flexible employment.
NIGERIA
- Al Hassan Keita, founder of EtioneraPay, an escrow payment gateway built for online and e-commerce users, processing payment and enabling payment for users.
- Jennifer Echenim, founder of Bloccpay, a crypto-powered payroll solution for global businesses and talents.
- Gold Sylvester, founder of Traddify, a global remittance platform that allows individuals and businesses to make cross-border payments seamlessly and instantly.
- Ngozi Nwabueze, founder of PocketLawyers, a Nigerian legal tech startup that offers access to affordable premium legal services and solutions to SMEs and startups.
- Sarah Odiavbara, founder of Craftmerce, a B2B e-commerce marketplace for African handcrafted enterprises.
- Olawunmi Akalusi, founder of Rísé NG, a digital platform that seamlessly connects artisans and vendors with consumers.
- Bibi Ikuemonisan, founder of FarmCorps, an agritech platform providing smallholder farmers in Nigeria with end-to-end market access, loans and more.
- Joy Akparobore, founder of VAMUZ, a Nigerian e-commerce and logistics platform aimed at the local market.
- Kemi Ogunkoya, founder of LeaderX, an innovative mobile application enabling African professional networks to bridge talent shortages, leadership gaps and more.
SOUTH AFRICA
- Jacqui Rogers, founder of My Pregnancy Journey, an app which aims to guide and empower South African/African women with information and expertise on pregnancy, health, and parenting.
TANZANIA
- Sophia Abeid, founder of Vide, a Tanzanian educational video-sharing technology for content creators.
TUNISIA
- Rym Bourguiba, founder of WildyNess, an online platform that offers travellers authentic experiences in Tunisia creating social impact in rural regions
ZAMBIA
- Vwanganji Amatende-Bowa, founder of Mightyfinance, an SME finance partner building thriving enterprises, that aim to transform lives through the provision of flexible, easy and affordable loans.
PROGRAM DETAILS
For the fourth edition and for the first time, Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund and F6S collaborated with The Future Is Female Mentorship Program, joining TechCabal and, Africa Communications Week, long-term partners of the initiative. The program is now powered by Allison+Partners, one of the international PR industry’s fastest-growing and innovative global agencies.
In August and September, the selected mentees will participate in masterclasses hosted by TechCabal, Salesforces, and Africa Communications Week, in collaboration with the program’s mentors. The program mentors are the founding team, Claudine Moore, Managing Director, Africa, Allison+Partners, David Idagu, Africa Regional Consultant, Allison+Partners and Tope Adubi, Digital Marketing Consultant, Allison+Partners.
From October to December, the mentors will host customised one-on-one sessions with the mentees focusing on sharing insights into PR and communications fundamentals for early-stage tech startups, such as corporate storytelling and communications, media relations, digital marketing, and more.
For more information on the finalists and details of the Program, visit the website or follow CMooreMedia, or Allison+Partners on Twitter and LinkedIn.
