South Africa’s Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), a 100 per cent black-owned broad-based investment holding company, has partnered the GrindstoneX accelerator programme to provide funding to selected ventures.
The MIC was established in 1995 by the Mineworkers Investment Trust (MIT) to create a sustainable asset base for the benefit of mine, energy and construction workers and their dependents.
Grindstone, meanwhile, was founded in 2013 and is co-owned by Knife Capital and Thinkroom Limited. It is renowned for assisting high-growth, innovation-driven companies to scale their businesses, and GrindstoneX is its all-female programme designed to make women-led startups more investible, scalable, and exit-ready.
The third GrindstoneX programme will see pre-Series A funding provided by MIC to the best four women-owned startups at the end of the programme. Applications are open here.
“We are thrilled with the progress we’ve made and the impact we’ve had on the entrepreneurial landscape to date. The partnership with MIC enables us to continue drive impact and momentum,” said Grindstone’s Catherine Young. “Our focus remains on empowering startups, particularly female-led businesses, to achieve remarkable growth and sustainability.”