BY TOM JACKSON
Twelve startups have been selected for The Future is Female, a PR and communications mentorship programme dedicated to the business development needs of African tech female founders.
The Future is Female was launched by C. Moore Media last month to provide the underserved market of African female founders of early-stage startups with the PR and communications insights, knowledge, and skills needed to gain visibility and grow their business.
In total, 139 applications were received from 18 different African countries. Though the programme initially launched intending to select 10 female founders to take part, the volume and quality of applications led the internal judges to expand the programme, resulting in 12 finalists being selected.
There are three of selected startups from Uganda, namely Chi Ai Lab, Easy Matatu, and Mkaziprenuer; Nigeria, in the form of Movemeback, CAWSTEM, and Clean Technology Hub; and South Africa, namely Kweza Technologies, RPA Nuggets, and Vuka Deliveries.
The list is completed by Kenya’s Tech Educate, Ghana’s Divaloper, and Tanzania’s Ninsiima eDispensary.
During the mentorship programme, which spans four months, the mentees will learn insights into PR and communications fundamentals for tech startups, including how to create and execute a communications plan. In addition, female founders will learn how to leverage PR and communications to gain customers, attract investors, and secure premier partnerships customised for their business and sector’s unique needs.
Once founders have completed this programme, they will own insights into the fundamentals of PR and communications, and understand how to leverage this knowledge to gain visibility, grow their business, and build their brand.
“We were delighted by the response to the programme. African tech female founders are underserved and often overlooked when it comes to the distribution of investments and resources. We wanted to create a complimentary program dedicated exclusively to African tech female founders to support them in their entrepreneurial journey as tech startups,” said Claudine Moore, founder of C. Moore Media.
“We are excited to leverage our PR and communications knowledge and expertise alongside our global business network to facilitate these female founders in achieving their goals.”
