The Customary Chartered Financial institution Girls in Tech program has introduced winners of the fifth cohort of Girls in Tech Incubator .The 5 women-led companies will obtain KES 1.2 million every in end result of the incubation program.
The 5 companies Keyara Botanics, Studying Otherwise, Aurora Well being Methods, Sello and Digipath obtained their prize cash in a commencement ceremony presided by Flora Mutahi, Chair of Kenya Non-public Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Customary Chartered Financial institution Kenya CEO, Kariuki Ngari and @iBizAfrica Incubation Centre- Strathmore College Director, Dr. Joseph Sevilla. The occasion was attended by main Kenyan girls entrepreneurs Wandia Gichuru- CEO at Vivo Trend Group; Winnie Ngumi- CEO House and Model Ltd and Joyce Mbaya – Founder & CEO, Zydii (WiT Alumni)
Talking throughout the occasion, Kariuki Ngari, CEO & MD, Customary Chartered Financial institution Kenya & East Africa mentioned, “as a financial institution, we’re inspired by the resilience and innovation of those girls owned companies and can proceed to assist this system as a part of our Futuremakers initiative which goals to equip girls with abilities that assist them earn, be taught and develop. We’re happy with this yr’s winners and stay up for seeing their steady development and innovation even past Africa.‘’
The 5th cohort of the Girls in Tech program was launched in March 2022, attracting 207 candidates, amongst whom 10 had been chosen, however 9 corporations efficiently went via the three months incubation ,receiving coaching, teaching and mentorship by @iBizAfrica-Strathmore College community of business consultants, Strathmore school, enterprise leaders, skilled mentors, and professionals. This culminated right into a rigorous and clear pitching course of for the KES 1.2 million ($10,000) enterprise funding.
The funding recipients had been picked after a rigorous judging course of undertaken by completed business consultants in each non-public and public sectors, seasoned entrepreneurs and tutorial thought leaders on answer innovation, availability of market alternative and social impression in Kenya, amongst different standards.
Including to this, Dr. Joseph Sevilla, Director @iLabAfrica and @iBizAfrica Analysis, Innovation and Incubation Centre, Strathmore College mentioned, “Since 2017, we now have obtained over 1000 functions for the Girls in Tech Incubator Program, reflecting the necessity and demand not just for funding but in addition for mentorship, advisory, teaching and networking alternatives for ladies led companies. Outcomes of this system, which embody elevated income, staff effectiveness and adoption of environment friendly enterprise fashions converse to the long run impression and necessity for this system. Not solely have these companies generated elevated income, however they’ve additionally helped to unravel a few of the most pressing wants in our society via expertise. We’re happy with the 9 companies who’ve gone via intensive coaching and capability constructing within the final 3 months and stay up for seeing steady development and impression from their companies. We stay up for persevering with to supply assist for the companies via our intensive community at @iBizAfrica and to our lengthy standing partnership with Customary Chartered.’’
This yr’s cohort was geared in direction of girls owned companies that integrated world developments together with rising applied sciences, sustainability and digital financial system accelerants. Different choice standards included: A feminine led begin up enterprise that solves social financial wants in Kenya,an organization that’s tech enabled or leveraging on rising applied sciences, a enterprise mannequin with a Sustainable Growth Purpose (SDG) alignment and clearly outlined roles and a balanced talent set (staff lead, enterprise improvement, product improvement and advertising and marketing).
Girls in Tech program is a part of the Financial institution’s neighborhood engagement technique, Futuremakers by Customary Chartered. The financial institution is working with deprived younger individuals – particularly women and individuals with disabilities to achieve new abilities and experience to enhance their possibilities of getting a job or beginning their very own enterprise. Futuremakers empowers the subsequent era to be taught, earn and develop by specializing in schooling, employability and entrepreneurship. The Girls in Tech program is partnership with @iBizAfrica – Strathmore College Incubation Centre.
Annually this system trains greater than 10 small and medium companies leveraging on expertise by providing mentorship, advisory, teaching, networking alternatives, entry to seed capital and investor boards that assist mould their companies to worldwide requirements. 30 start-ups have participated so far, and 15 have been awarded a million every in seed funding. 41 companies have to this point gone via the incubation course of with the primary 4 cohorts attracting 1,150 functions.