Supporting African Women-Led Healthcare Startups
Call for Female-led Healthcare Start-Ups in Africa
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
Are you a talented African founder with a health solution that offers excellent potential for widespread impact on society? Are you looking for a supportive environment for developing your solution, and helping you take your understanding of the start-up ecosystems to the next level? Do you value the importance of honing your skills for seamless navigation of the start-up world? Is access to networks that nurture and motivate female founders to reach their potential a priority for you in taking the next steps in building your venture? Join us!
If you are a female African founder creating a health solution in Africa, join our Application Q&A session on 20th March 2024 at 2pm to learn more about this bespoke opportunity for your venture. Register here to secure a spot.
Background
Our experience has underscored noticeable gender imbalance in the healthcare innovation space and the undesirable impact of limited diversity in innovation on equitable healthcare. Female founders encounter numerous pain points, from limited start-up support programmes that are sensitive to the natural ways in which women flourish in connecting, collaborating, and engaging in the start-up space, to support from family and friends and biased assessment approaches in pitching for funding across the entire funding spectrum (pre-seed and beyond). In response, we are strategically working to co-create opportunities and structures dedicated to supporting women innovators to thrive rather than survive in building their start-ups.
This call is part of our efforts to increase the participation of female founders across the continent. By offering support throughout the application process and sharing information on it, we aim to empower female founders to take advantage of opportunities in the healthcare innovation space. This call is part of our efforts to increase the participation of female founders across the continent. By offering support throughout the application process and sharing information on it, we aim to offer female founders approaches that are sensitive to their immutable role in creating impactful solutions in the healthcare innovation space.
The opportunity
This opportunity is open to solutions that demonstrate strong potential for significant improvement in healthcare equity and access in all areas relevant to Africa’s health needs. Any type of technology leading to the creation of solutions towards disease prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment is eligible. Examples of technologies include diagnostics, devices, therapeutics, vaccines. Health solutions in MedTech and Biotech with strong potential for impact are particularly encouraged. The opportunity is open to MedTech and Biotech from early stage through to growth stage. Solutions with a primary focus on digital technologies or AI as the main basis for value creation, or other health solutions, such as social care-related ventures that have generated compelling and demonstrable traction for health systems strengthening will also be considered.
Who is eligible to apply?
This call is open to female founders who are nationals of and resident in any African country. Health solutions with demonstrable potential for impact on low-and middle-income communities will be considered.
How will you benefit?
- Support networks – Access to a women-led community and peer learning opportunities.
- Mentorship and guidance – Access to inspiring and appropriate role models in your field.
- Technical expertise – Customized business and technology support by Villgro Africa and partners.
- Sponsorship – Curated access to potential external partners and other players in the start-up ecosystem.
- Funding – A fair opportunity to secure funding to grow your solution.