Her Startup, an accelerator for women-led technology startups in Africa, has opened applications for its second cohort. The collaborative initiative spearheaded by KSH Foundation, Tomorrow Foundation and EHA Impact Ventures will equip ten (10) women founders in early-stage to build investment-ready tech businesses. This training programme will be delivered by the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator, Founder Institute.

Despite accounting for 58% of Africa’s self-employed population, women founders secured less than 1 percent of the more than $2 billion raised by African startups in 2025. Her Startup was created to help change this reality, providing women entrepreneurs with the training, capital, and networks they need to build and grow successful businesses through a single, integrated programme.

What selected founders receive

• A 12-week intensive training programme with Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator, with fees covered by Her Startup.

• A monthly stipend so founders can commit fully to the program.

• An opportunity to pitch to Her Startup’s Investment Committee for funding through convertible revenue-based financing.

• 12 months of mentoring matched to the business sector, plus access to Founder Institute’s global network.

Applications are open to women founders or CEOs aged between 18 and 35, who run a tech-enabled business, have been operating for at least six months and generate at least $500 in monthly gross revenue. Founders from Francophone Africa are strongly encouraged to apply for the 2026/2027 cohort.

Speaking on the initiative’s promise, Khalil Halilu, Co-founder of Her Startup and Founder of KSH Foundation, said, “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.”

The second cohort builds on the success of the pilot programme in 2024/2025, which attracted over 200 applications from 18 African countries. Ten founders were selected for training, and three ventures won funding at the programme’s Pitch Day in Lagos in April 2025. Participating founders have since won grants and awards, attracted investor interest, and gained wider visibility for their businesses. The programme itself was featured in international press, highlighting its growing role in supporting African women entrepreneurs.

“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,” said Blessing Aniefiok, COO of Dynalimb Technologies and 2024 Her Startup Associate.

With the second cohort, the partners aim to build on the pilot and reach more women founders across the continent. For Tomorrow Foundation, Her Startup is about more than closing a funding gap: it is about women leading the future.

“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. 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,” said Maggie Gu, Co-founder of Her Startup and President of Tomorrow Foundation.

The way founders are funded sets the programme apart. Her Startup provides convertible, revenue-based financing, with repayments linked to each company’s revenue.

“It’s not enough to just give these companies financing. It’s about giving them financing that will truly help them succeed. We chose a convertible, revenue-based loan, an innovative financing mechanism that is just starting to enter the market. It is incredibly founder-friendly, and it will help the women in this programme succeed,” said Evelyn Castle, Co-founder of Her Startup and Co-founder of EHA Impact Ventures.

Applications close on 26th October 2026. Full eligibility criteria, programme details and the application form are available at www.her-startup.com