New Startup Accelerator, Tech African Women Launches in Ethiopia

The Digital African Women (TAW) program has officially launched with the aim of assisting and accelerating female-owned African tech firms as they transition from the concept stage to actual operations.

Ethiopian, Senegalese, Tanzanian, and Tunisian female-led idea stage startups are invited to apply to participate in TAW, which is organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with Betacube.

The Digital African Women (TAW) program has officially launched with the aim of assisting and accelerating female-owned African tech firms as they transition from the concept stage to actual operations.

TAW is an initiative of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with Betacube, and is open to submissions from female-led idea stage firms in Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

The goal of the initiative is to “empower” female founders to use their expertise to construct strong tech firms from the ground up, hasten the conversion of project ideas into tested business models, and foster collaborations within various African ecosystems.

The contestants will have free access to a pool of tech engineers and designers who will support and advise their particular teams during the incubation period.

Along with taking part in customized webinars offered by worldwide trainers, participants will also have the chance to work closely with top specialists in marketing and finance.

The program includes three primary phases and runs from August to December 2022.

First, in collaboration with local ecosystem stakeholders, intense 3-day training bootcamps and pitching competitions will be hosted in Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Each bootcamp’s winner team will get a cash award of $2000.

The top two entrepreneurs from each nation will then participate in a 2-month online incubation program to help them become investment- and market-ready.

Eight finalists startups will be asked to present at a closing event at the ECA Conference Center in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, where the top startup will receive a cash grant of $7000.

The announcement of the initiative’s launch states that “TAW targets female-led & idea-stage tech startups and offers these startup teams an exclusive opportunity to acquire new entrepreneurial skills, establish partnerships with their African peers, increase regional business visibility, and access funds.”

It supports strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by strengthening the abilities of female entrepreneurs who wish to go deep into creating enterprises with a positive social impact.

How can I apply?

The program only accepts applicants who are citizens of Tunisia, Tanzania, Senegal, or Ethiopia and who have a startup tech idea that addresses at least one of the SDGs. Participants must be female, between the ages of 18 and 35, and speak either French or English well.

Candidates from the four countries can now submit applications on the program’s official website until the 10th of August 2022 for Tunisia and until the 17th of August 2022 for Ethiopia, Senegal, and Tanzania.