She Leads Africa has announced ten early stage businesses have been accepted into the 2016 SLA Accelerator Programme which began last week in Lagos, Nigeria. She Leads Africa has partnered with Work in Progress! Alliance (VC4Africa is part of this alliance) and Guaranty Trust Bank to create a 3-month accelerator program designed to identify, support and fund the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest female entrepreneurs.
This year She Leads Africa received applications from over 120 startups from across Nigeria. The selected entrepreneurs were evaluated based on their traction and progress in the market, management team and vision to grow and scale across Africa.
The businesses below are part of the 2016 SLA Accelerator cohort:
 | Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services – An eco-friendly social enterprise that produces premium organic produce through hydroponics and community action. | Oluwayimika Angel Adelaja |
 | DeliveryBros – Helps you save time and stress through pickup and drops from the market to your house or office. | Abiodun Abbey |
 | Koko’s Kitchen – An indigenous brand of confectionary dry mixes specially tailored to suit the taste buds and pocketbook of the quintessential person on the go. | Sifa Asani |
 | Bubble Tii – Bringing the Bubble Tea phenomena to Africa. Asian inspired drinks prepared and served in front of the customer within sixty seconds, using fresh fun ingredients. | Tokunbo Sotinwa |
 | Shuttlers – Enables professionals to access comfortable and efficient transportation to and from work using seat matching technology. | Damilola Olokesusi |
 | Keek’s – Designs tailored weight loss packages for busy women who want a plan that is both effective and simple to implement. | Nkechi Oti |
 | BathKandy Co. – Creates sumptuous dessert-inspired beauty treats for women who crave the finer things. | Blondie Okpuzor |
 | Independent Personal Assistant (iPA) – Provides strategic virtual assistance to high-level executives across Africa. We take care of the mundane while you focus on what matters. | Akinnawo Ibukunoluwa |
 | Medsaf– Solves the medical industry’s procurement problem, by providing a technology enabled distribution solution resulting in transparency and simplicity. | Vivian Nwakah |
| Art Splash Studio – A virtual art studio offering a social art experience through our Paint Nite painting classes hosted at different venues in Abuja. Paint, eat, and sip on cocktails while you create. | Crystal Ikanih-Musa |
Accelerator participants will spend the next three months working on their business strategy and growth, while networking with investors and potential partners. Experts and program mentors include Chudi Amu, Vice President of Investment at Verod Capital; Shirley Somuah, Investor at Cardinal Stone Partners; Seun Abolaji, Creative Director at Wilson’s Juice Company; and Tunde Kehinde and Ercin Eskin, Cofounders of ACE.
The entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses at an investor Demo Day in October and compete for N2 million investment from She Leads Africa along with other business support services.
She Leads Africa has many programs aimed at supporting and investing in smart and ambitious young African women. Those interested in learning more about these opportunities and joining the She Leads Africa community can join here.
She Leads Africa is a community that helps young African women achieve their professional dreams. The organisation has been featured on CNBC Africa, Black Enterprise and Fox Business and its co-founders were named by Forbes as two of the 20 youngest power women in Africa (2014).