Applications open for SheScales Africa 2025 to support women-led tech startups
SheScales Africa 2025, a 6-week virtual investment readiness programme run by Opolo Global Innovation, is currently accepting applications. Its goal is to help tech-enabled female founders in Africa become fully investment-ready so they can confidently secure funding with clarity, and credibility.
Opolo Global Innovation has created a rigorous and practical programme to transform the startup scene, especially in Africa, where women-led businesses receive less than 2% of venture capital. By providing tech-enabled female founders with necessary resources, industry expertise, valuable networks, and direct access to investors, the program aims to close this gap and set them up for successful capital raises.
Participating female founders will get the chance to make a direct presentation to a vetted network of venture capitalists and angel investors who are actively investing during the program’s exclusive demo day.
Benefits
SheScales Africa 2025 offers six weeks of intensive, practical training, including:
- Investment readiness tools: gain insights into the fundamentals of fundraising with the help of investor presentation frameworks, financial modelling templates, and due diligence techniques frequently used by venture capitalists
- Fundraising strategy: create a fundraising strategy tailored to the needs of the African market, indentify suitable investors, create compelling business proposals, and negotiate for investment terms
- Financial modelling and data room: organise data rooms in accordance with the needs of institutional investors and produce sound financial models that effectively communicate a growth narrative
- Pitch deck storytelling: transform the business narrative into one that appeals to investors while communicating the vision, traction, and growth potential
- Expert faculty mentorship: receive guidance from seasoned entrepreneurs, successful founders, and investment experts who have direct knowledge of the African startup landscape and the financing process.
ALSO READ: DealWoman Investor Readiness Programme opens for Nigerian female founders. Apply now
Who can apply
To be eligible for the SheScales Africa 2025 programme applicants must:
- Female leadership: be led by a female C-level executive, co-founder, or founder
- Market traction: must manages an active product with observable signs of traction, including revenue, active users, pilot projects, or strategic partnerships
- Must offer a technologically advanced solution with strong potential for scalable growth
- Must be building solutions for African markets
- Funding timeline: must be seeking institutional funding within the next three to 12 months
- Early-stage status: must be in the pre-seed or seed stage and not have received any institutional funding before
Key dates to remember
- Applications open: Thursday, August 7, 2025
- Application closes: Sunday, August 19, 2025
- Program launch: Tuesday, August 26 to September 25, 2025
- Demo day: Thursday, October 9, 2025
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit their application for the SheScales Africa 2025 programme on or before Sunday, August 19, 2025.
Do you have an innovative business (small, mid-scale business or startup) that adds value, creates opportunities or solves bold problems? Then you`ve got a story worth telling? Shoot us an email with the subject “Story Worth Telling (+Name of Business)” to [email protected]
