VC4A is looking for up to 16 women founders leading innovative, high-growth scale-ups to showcase to the global network of Africa-focused investors. So, if you a woman founder, operating in Africa, generating revenue, and looking to raise between $250K and $10M, this is the opportunity you have been looking for. The application deadline for the 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa is May 27, 2022.
About 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa
According to the Africa: The Big Deal report, in 2021 93% of the funding in Africa went to startups led by male CEOs. Looking at the makeup of founding teams, over 99% of the funding in 2021 was raised by a single male founder, or a founding team with at least one male co-founder.
Based on this knowledge, VC4A is opening this call to women-led startups from across the African continent. If you are leading a fast growing startup with clear impact potential and you are in the process of scaling up your activities in the region, then apply.
As part of the program, companies get visibility within a curated investor network and are interviewed by leading VC funds as part of the vetting process. The finalists receive mentorship and technical advice directly from the angel investors, VC fund managers and Corporates that participate in the program. The Venture Showcase is an effective way to get visibility for your fundraising campaign and to connect with prospective investors. Last but not least, this is a great opportunity to share and learn from your peers and build long-lasting relationships with them.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, you must meet the criteria below:
- have a very strong management team of at least 3 people including one (or more) woman founder;
- your company is for-profit and registered as an independent legal entity;
- have a product or service available on the market and generate revenue;
- your product or service is clearly innovative and/or your business model is new, disruptive and designed for scale;
- team is based in one or more countries on the African continent;
- At least one of the founders has an African nationality;
- You are seeking Seed or Series A investment in the range of $250K – $10M;
While there will be exceptions, most likely your startup has already received external investment, structured as either debt or equity, or received grants from donor organizations.
Benefits to participants
Selected women business owners stand to benefit the following:
- Being recognized as 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase entrepreneur
- Participation in the VC4A Venture Showcase deal room, including 200+ early-stage investor organizations
- Professionally edited 3-minute virtual pitch featured at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (November 2-4, 2022)
- 30 min deep-dive session with investors in a private room
- Mentorship and technical support by partnering VC investors and corporates
- AWS Activate offers selected cohort credits, tools, resources, and more to quickly get started on AWS
- Joining the alumni network and having exclusive access to partner events and fundraising opportunities
Program Timeline
The table below shows the program timeline
| Apr 13 – May 27 | Application period |
| Jun 1 – Jul 22 | Selection process / investor review / interviews |
| Jul 26 | Showcase cohort selection (internal) |
| Aug – Nov | Mentorship program with VC investors |
| Oct – Nov | Technical sessions with VC investors |
| Nov 2-4 | Showcase at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit |
For more information, visit the VC4A website.
