Her Startup Accelerator 2026/27 for African Women Founders: Stipend, Training and Funding Pitch, Deadline 26 October

The Her Startup accelerator is taking applications for its second cohort, the 2026/27 intake, and the deadline is close: founders must apply by 26 October 2026. The programme picks up to 10 early-stage, women-led tech startups from across Africa and gives them training, a monthly stipend, mentoring and a chance to pitch for financing.

It is run by a partnership of the KSH Foundation, Tomorrow Foundation and EHA Impact Ventures, with training delivered by Founder Institute, according to Disrupt Africa and the programme's own site.

What the Her Startup accelerator offers

• Training: an intensive accelerator with Founder Institute, with fees paid by Her Startup. The programme's news post and Disrupt Africa describe it as 12 weeks; other pages of the official site mention 14 weeks or four months, so expect roughly a term-length commitment.
• Monthly stipend: paid so founders can take part full time. The amount is not published.
• Funding pitch: participants can pitch to the investment committee for convertible, revenue-based financing, where repayments are linked to the company's revenue. No amounts are stated, and the FAQ says taking part does not guarantee funding.
• Mentoring: 12 months of mentoring matched to your sector.
• Network: access to Founder Institute's global network.

Who can apply

The official "How to Apply" section sets these conditions:

1. You are the female founder, co-founder or CEO of the business applying.
2. You are aged 18 to 35.
3. Your business is tech-enabled and has an MVP or a product on the market.
4. It generates at least US$500 in monthly revenue, sustained for at least six months.
5. You are based in Africa. Any country is eligible, and Francophone founders are encouraged to apply.

The FAQ says participants should expect to commit at least 20 hours a week.

How the first cohort did

The 2024/25 pilot drew more than 200 applications from 18 African countries, Disrupt Africa reports. Ten founders were selected, and three ventures won funding at a pitch day in Lagos in April 2025.

One alumna, Blessing Aniefiok, COO of Nigerian healthtech Dynalimb Technologies, which makes affordable 3D-printed prosthetics, told Disrupt Africa: "Since Her Startup, we've seen a steady rise in customer adoption and product sales."

Evelyn Castle, co-founder of Her Startup and EHA Impact Ventures, said: "It's not enough to just give these companies financing." She described the financing as "incredibly founder-friendly."

Why this matters

Funding for women-led startups in Africa remains thin. Disrupt Africa's Diversity Dividend report found that only 9.6% of ventures funded in 2025 had a female CEO. A programme that pays founders a stipend while they train makes it easier for founders who cannot afford to stop earning to take part.

How to apply

1. Confirm you meet every condition above, especially the revenue rule.
2. Gather your monthly revenue figures for at least the last six months.
3. Fill in the form on the official application page: apply.her-startup.com.
4. Submit before 26 October 2026. Do not leave it to the last day.

Building a clean-energy business instead? See our listing for the Africa Energy Entrepreneurship Awards 2026.