Her Startup Cohort 2.0 Women Founders Accelerator

About

Her Startup Cohort 2.0 is a pan-African accelerator for women founders aged 18–35 running tech-enabled startups with an MVP and at least US$500 in monthly revenue, offering training, a stipend, mentorship and a chance to pitch for up to US$5,000 in convertible revenue-based financing.

Benefits

• Guaranteed for selected participants: structured accelerator training through Founder Institute (12 weeks per current listings and official FAQ; 14 weeks/4 months per official program page and some listings); monthly stipend/allowance paid in stages during training; completion certificate after successful completion; access to co-working space and healthcare coverage for 1 year (per official program page). Conditional: successful completion makes founders eligible to apply for funding; remaining startups pitch to the Investment Committee for an average of US$5,000 (some listings say up to US$5,000) in convertible revenue-based financing, which is not guaranteed; funded startups receive 6 months of mentorship (older listing says 1 year); based on performance, support for additional capital raise; networking and investor-readiness support; wellness support including six months of free mental health sessions per Leadership article.

Eligibility Criteria

• Mandatory: female founder, co-founder or CEO of the applying business; aged 18–35; technology-enabled business; MVP or existing product on the market; at least US$500 in monthly revenue sustained for at least 6 months; startup based in an African country (application form lists African Union member states as operating countries; open across Africa, including Nigeria); application accepted in English or French. Required application documents include government-issued ID, proof of revenue for the last 6 months, company registration documents showing your role, and pitch deck. Preferred/selection criteria: no more than 20% of selected companies will be fintechs; at least 15% of selected companies will come from Francophone Africa.

Participation Commitments

• Selected participants are expected to dedicate several hours each week to onboarding, training sessions, and mentorship meetings, and at least 20 hours per week during the 12-week Founder Institute accelerator; they may continue running their business but must complete required activities. No application fee is printed on the official page or Cohort 2.0 portal, and training costs are covered by the program. If funding is awarded, it is structured as convertible revenue-based financing rather than an unconditional grant. No tuition or equity commitment is explicitly stated beyond the funding instrument.

Target Region

Women founders, co-founders or CEOs leading a technology-enabled startup based in an African country; the application form lists African Union member states as operating countries, and the programme is described as open to founders from any African country, including Nigeria. English and French are accepted on the application form.

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other