New East African accelerator SPRING has opened its applications today, inviting submissions from startups improving the lives of adolescent girls living in poverty.
The selection process will see 18 startups chosen to participate in the nine-month programme, with participants to receive an average of US$80,000 per startup.
The incubator begins with a two week intensive SPRING bootcamp in June, to be held in Nairobi; followed by a two-month period of prototyping and testing.
In the third month, startups will pitch for further funding to investors at a demo day in the capital city of their country of origin; whereafter the programme continues for six months of structured and supported implementation.
Startups will pitch again at the SPRING Forum in March 2016, with the chance of securing follow-on funding.
The three criteria for selection are the viability of the business, potential for impact, and the strength of leadership and the team.
To be eligible, startups must have made sales in the past year; have operations in Rwanda, Kenya and/or Uganda; and must target girls aged 10 to 19 as the customers, beneficiaries, or target market of the startup.
Applications close March 1, and can be made via the SPRING website.
Disrupt Africa reported the SPRING accelerator aims to help 200,000 girls living in poverty in East Africa by 2019.
SPRING project director Sachin Gupta recently told Disrupt Africa that the accelerator hopes to help address the lack of access to finance currently hindering the otherwise vibrant and innovative startup ecosystem in East Africa.
