Startups from Egypt and Tunisia are among those selected for the Womentum Accelerator, a four-month experience-based programme that will offer the best businesses access to up to US$160,000 in funding.
Run by womena, the second Womentum Accelerator focuses on growing female-led tech startups in the Middle East and North Africa. In partnership with Standard Chartered, it will take the selected startups to Berlin and Dubai for an immersive experience in these two vibrant hubs, with a remote mentorship period in between.
The top-performing startups will receive access to US$160,000, with US$100,000 coming in the form of investment from womena and US$60,000 in prize money awarded by Standard Chartered.
Eight startups have been selected for the programme from around 200 applications, with three Egypt-based startups making the cut. They are Fresh Source, which connects smallholder farmers to the modern value chain; Chefaa, an AI-powered on-demand marketplace for pharmaceutical products; and Pas-sport, a matchmaking platform that connects local and regional athletes with sports scholarships at universities globally.
Also selected is Tunisian startup Dabchy, an online community for the buying and selling of used clothes, bags and accessories, alongside startups from Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“The Womentum selection this year speaks to the maturity of female-founded startups in the Middle East,” sayid Christina Andreassen, managing director of Womentum Accelerator. “All of these companies have phenomenal businesses from a large diversity of industries, ranging from construction tech to virtual goods and gaming.”
