10 female entrepreneurs make SLA’s accelerator programme

She Leads Africa (SLA) has announced 10 early stage businesses have been accepted into the 2016 SLA Accelerator Programme which began on July 11th in Lagos, Nigeria.

Saying that it has partnered with the Work in Progress! Alliance (VC4Africa and Oxfam) and Guaranty Trust Bank to create a three-month accelerator program designed to identify, support and fund the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest female entrepreneurs, SLA said it received applications from over 120 start-ups from across Nigeria, of which only 10 were picked for the programme

The selected entrepreneurs were evaluated based on their traction and progress in the market, management team and vision to grow and scale across Africa, SLA said in a statement.

The selected businesses are:

Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services, an eco-friendly social enterprise that produces premium organic produce through hydroponics and community action; DeliveryBros, a company that helps save time and stress through pickup and drops from the market to houses or offices,      VivaSante, which solves the medical industry’s procurement problem, by providing a technology enabled distribution solution resulting in transparency and simplicity.

Others include Koko’s Kitchen, an indigenous brand of confectionary dry mixes specially tailored to suit the taste buds and pocketbook of the quintessential person on the go; Bubble, Shuttlers, a company that enables professionals to access comfortable and efficient transportation to and from work using seat matching technology and Keek’s, whch designs tailored weight loss packages for busy women who want a plan that is both effective and simple to implement.

Native Bukka, a chain of Afrocentric quick service restaurants that specialize in exceptionally good bukka food served fresh all day for busy individuals on the go; BathKandy Co., creator sumptuous dessert-inspired beauty treats for women who crave the finer things and Independent Personal Assistant (iPA), which provides strategic virtual assistance to high-level executives across Africa. We take care of the mundane while you focus on what matters, were also picked.

Accelerator participants will spend the next three months working on their business strategy and growth, while networking with investors and potential partners.  Experts and program mentors include Chudi Amu, Vice President of Investment at Verod Capital; Shirley Somuah, Investor at Cardinal Stone Partners; Seun Abolaji, Creative Director at Wilson’s Juice Company; and Tunde Kehinde and Ercin Eskin, Cofounders of ACE, SLA said.

According to the organisation that helps young African women achieve their professional dreams, the entrepreneurs on the accelerator programme will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses at an investor Demo Day in October and compete for N2 million investments from She Leads Africa along with other business support services.