Scaling Investment to Bridge the Funding Gap for Women Entrepreneurs in African Tech
2025
Technology is playing a pivotal role in Africa’s economic growth, contributing approximately £200-230Bn to GDP, and addressing key challenges such as financial inclusion, healthcare, market access, and education.
Despite progress, women-led and women-centric businesses remain underrepresented, with only 15% of tech startups in Africa led solely by women, and underfunded, receiving less than 1% of total funding.
This gap is notable given that investing in women-led and women-centric businesses has been shown to yield higher returns, with the global market value influenced by women estimated at around $32T.
Structural barriers, including limited access to STEM education, funding, investor networks, and systemic biases – limiting women’s participation and success in the tech ecosystem, especially beyond early-stage funding and into scaling and growth phases.
Key Sector Highlights
Representation
15%
of tech startups in Africa are led solely by women
Funding Type
~52%
of women-led businesses have raised funding through grants
Funding amount
1/2
ticket size received by women-only founders compared to men
This intervention focused on directing more funding to African women founders, supporting both initial investments and business scaling. It identifying promising startups, connecting them with investors and providing targeted support to help them grow and succeed.
Support Provided
Hosted a roundtable on Women in Africa Tech
Over 40 attendees and 21 companies represented, featuring 7 high-potential startup pitches:
- Strong engagement with attendees staying online for an average of 2 hours and 43 minutes
- Investor mix included DFIs, accelerators, VCs, PEs
Post-event efforts include:
- 3 commercial investor connections facilitated
- 2 investors connected to WEE-focused entities
- 1 VC supported on implementing 2X criteria
- Pitch decks shared widely across investor ecosystem
Developed 2 knowledge products to scale impact
Investor Guide: To help investors identify high-potential women-led/centric tech opportunities in Africa.
- Tech landscape trends and opportunity spaces
- Barriers for women entrepreneurs
- Country/startup analysis across 4 sub-sectors
- Inclusive investing recommendations
- Disseminated to 125+ investors
Founder Guide: To equip founders with knowledge and tools to navigate fundraising.
- Overview of funding sources and considerations
- Lists of top VCs, grants, and events
- Best practices for managing investor expectations
- Disseminated to 500+ African women founders
Supported 6 startups through a deal accelerator
Supported 6 women-founded tech startups in Africa during 8 weeks with hands-on investment-readiness support.
- Startups across 3 different subsectors (HealthTech, FinTech and TelCo), with HQs in 3 markets (Nigeria, Kenya and Botswana), at different maturity levels (pre-seed, seed, series A)
- Support provided: pitchbook enhancement, business plan refinement, exit strategy planning, opportunity assessment and market sizing, WEE impact assessment, investor connections
Impact Achieved
3 investor-startup connections enabled
+600
beneficiaries of the knowledge products
6 start-ups supported with an 8-week hands-on programme
