Grace Ashiru
The Future is Female Mentorship Programme, a PR and communications training initiative exclusively for female founders, has announced 20 finalists for its fifth cohort.
These finalists were chosen from hundreds of applications across Africa that closed on July 31. The selected finalists represent early-stage startups in healthtech, AI, cleantech, agritech, and logistics, each demonstrating relevant use cases in their target markets.
The Future is Female Mentorship Programme was established in 2020 by Claudine Moore, Africa’s managing director at the PR firm Allison
and founder of C. Moore Media.
The annual program is organized in partnership with various media and communications companies, as well as investors in female-led businesses, to provide media training for female founders.
Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, the impact investment arm of Salesforce, along with TechCabal, Africa Communications Week, and startup database company F6S, partnered for this year’s edition.
“In five years, we have supported hundreds of African female tech founders and are delighted to have the backing of long-term partners. We remain committed to scaling the initiative, with supporting African female founders as our primary objective,” said Moore.
As part of the training, Claudine Moore will lead the first masterclass, joined by Africa Communications Week co-founders Annie Mutumba and Eniola Harrison. TechCabal will conduct masterclasses on engaging with the media, while Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund will cover topics related to venture capital funding.
The selected finalists for the 2024 program come from different African countries. These founders are:
Morroco
- Adjayi Cyrus, founder of My Steps, an incentive-based health-tech app that rewards users for maintaining daily health routines through eco-friendly mobility.
- Nassima Ben, founder of Feizhoucom, a startup that develops technology products, software solutions, and mobile apps for startups in Morocco.
Rwanda
- Aline Nicole Uwamariya, founder of Geuza, a startup that utilizes electronic plastic waste and 3D technology to create prosthetics and crutches for disabled individuals in Rwanda.
Kenya
- Becky Kirima, founder of INVA Solution, a startup that offers comprehensive virtual assistance specifically tailored for individuals with attention deficit disorder (ADD).
- Maureen Macharia, founder of Cluzar, an AI-powered customer feedback and market research startup that enables organizations to connect with and gather insights from current and potential consumers.
Nigeria
- Kieva Chris-Amusan, founder of Fertitude, a digital platform that offers women on-demand and stigma-free access to reproductive health information, products, and services.
- Folashade Adegbite, founder of Harmonics, a startup that develops technology products, software solutions, and mobile applications for startups.
- Omolola Solagbade, founder of Zendit, a logistics tech platform that connects businesses to various affordable courier options.
- Kikelomo Owoyale, founder of SheFoundry, a gender-lens technology company aimed at bridging financial and fundraising gaps for women founders and entrepreneurs.
- Tolu Ajibola, founder of HerSynergyTribe, a network dedicated to empowering mid-level women in tech across the EMEA region by offering resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities for career advancement and personal growth.
- Roddiyyat Nasirudeen, founder of OpenHealth, a HealthTech platform that addresses critical issues of accessibility and quality by leveraging AI technology.
- Omowumi Omidiji, founder of SouqOS, a B2B cross-border supply chain management platform that streamlines diaspora-Africa trade by offering services for sourcing, logistics, warehousing, escrow, and embedded finance.
South Africa
- Vwanganji Amatende-Bowa, founder of Tsehla Holdings, a startup that specializes in climate-smart agriculture through hydroponic farming.
Zimbabwe
- Priscilla Chigariro, founder of The Driven Group, a premium lifestyle startup that curates events, restaurants, hotels, and experiences for users in Zimbabwe.
Ghana
- Ruth Nduta, founder of Africa HackNest, an edtech startup that leverages AI to provide capacity development training for organizations in Ghana.
- Ama Dadson, founder of Akoobooks, a platform and experience provider dedicated to transforming African books into engaging audiobooks that reach new audiences on mobile phones.
- Roxanne Oduro, founder of Merdeo, a cloud-based agritech startup that leverages data analytics to streamline operations for restaurateurs while providing farmers with access to markets.
Ethiopia
- Begashaw Meberate, founder of Bfarm-Tech, a digital startup that offers rental threshing services for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.
- Beamlak Alemayehu, founder of Medanit, a startup that offers medication delivery, a doctors’ appointment system, telemedicine, mental health consultations, and Ethiopia’s first all-in-one medical directory system.
Tunisia
- Nada Ghammem, founder of Bionic Soul, a startup that manufactures advanced bionic prosthetics to enhance mobility and quality of life for amputees in Tunisia.
