She Leads Africa Accelerator 2019

Accelerator program for early stage, women led startups in Nigeria

The SLA Accelerator is a 4-month program designed to identify, support and fund the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest female entrepreneurs. The winner of the programme will receive N2 million from SLA.

This year, the programme is open to businesses in any sector or industry based anywhere in Nigeria

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION

What do you get from the program?

4 months intensive training on business and operational skills
Online and offline learning resources
Exclusive access and mentorship from some of Nigeria’s leading business personalities
Opportunity to pitch your business in front of local and international investors
Features in local and international media

What’s the process?

Put together a top-notch application package, ace the semi-final interviews and get selected by the review committee.
Attend a one week in-person bootcamp where you’ll meet the other participants and receive training from the SLA team and some of Nigeria’s most prominent business and operational experts.
Get access to 15 masterclasses on crucial business skills with top business experts, every month for the next 3 months.
Virtual Demo Day! Present your business to local and international investors and media virtually.

Previous SLA entrepreneurs have been featured on Forbes and CNN and received brand endorsements after pitch day. In total they’ve gone on to raise $1 million, have been invested in by members of 500 startups and a lucky few even got to pitch to Aliko Dangote himself.

The top entrepreneur will walk away with N 2 million. The others receive 3 months of intensive support and access to a vast network of mentors and investors.

Are you eligible?

Business with at least one woman aged 18-35 as a shareholder or owner
We are accepting applications from innovative businesses in ALL sectors this year
Less than 3 years in operation
Business must be based in Nigeria
Business must not have raised more than $50,000 in external funding

What’s next?

Submit your application! Applications open April 29, 2019 and close June 2, 2019. We will not accept any late submissions. You must upload your pitch deck to your VC4A profile in order for your application to be complete. Make sure you join the She Leads Africa community to gain access to our application tips, a free downloadable guide on how to create a BOSS pitch deck and an invitation to a private webinar with our cofounders where you can ask your questions and hear directly from them on what they’re looking for.

This 2019 SLA Accelerator is run in partnership with the Work in Progress! Alliance – a consortium of Oxfam, Butterfly Works and VC4A focused on driving job creation and youth employment in Nigeria.

About She Leads Africa:

She Leads Africa is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting young African women and their journey towards professional success. The organisation has been featured on CNN, CNBC Africa, Black Enterprise and Fox Business and has more than 300,000 members across Africa and the diaspora.

About Work In Progress! Alliance:

The Work in Progress! Alliance is focused on unlocking the economic potential of young women and men in Egypt, Nigeria and Somalia. The project aims to enable them to generate sustainable and living incomes – by finding regular employment or starting enterprises. Alliance partners include Oxfam, VC4Africa and Butterfly Works.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION