Deadline: May 28, 2025
Applications are open for the Women in Tech Zambia Accelerator Programme 2025. The Women in Tech Zambia programme, implemented by BongoHive Innovations, is an accelerator designed to support women-led, tech-based and tech-enabled businesses in Zambia. The programme combines world-class training, strategic mentorship, and equity-free funding to help female entrepreneurs grow their startups and scale sustainable solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The thematic areas include:
- Health Technology: Innovating for Equitable Health Access
- Education Technology: Empowering the Next Generation
- Financial Technology: Empowering Entrepreneurs in Zambia
- Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies: Empowering Entrepreneurs
- Access Technology: Inclusive Innovations for Persons with Disabilities
Benefits
Selected startups will receive:
- 3-Month Business Incubation: Structured training focused on business strategy, growth, and operations.
- Professional Mentorship: Expert guidance from seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, strategic partners, and industry specialists.
- Technical & Business Support: Access to legal, financial, accounting, and digital services.
- Milestone Development Plan: Create a personalized milestone development plan towards investment readiness, growth, and impact utilizing Abaca, VilCap’s online milestone tracking tool
- Financial Analysis: Access to 1:1 coaching with an investment analyst focused on building a financial model and financial narratives.
- Networking Opportunities: Meet investors, corporates, and potential strategic partners.
- Media Exposure: Increased visibility through media and public events.
- Equity-Free Grant: $10,000 awarded to 5 selected businesses to scale their solutions.
- Market Expansion Support: Six months of targeted post-programme support designed to help you scale operations and deepen your market reach.
- Alumni Community: Join an active network of women tech founders and BongoHive alumni for ongoing collaboration and support.
Eligibility
Startups must meet the following criteria:
- Legally registered for-profit business (less than 10 employees) must have been registered with PACRA for at least 3 months.
- Headquartered and operational in Zambia.
- Revenue-generating (under $100,000 annually).
- Have raised less than $500,000 in equity.
- Have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and proven traction (users, partnerships, revenue, etc.).
- At least one female founder with equal or majority ownership.
- One full-time founder must be based in Zambia.
- The founder should be 18–35 years old.
- The business must be tech-based or tech-enabled, addressing one of the thematic challenge areas.
- Must be able to participate in all programme activities from 23 June – 9 October 2025.
Application
For more information, visit Women in Tech Zambia Accelerator.
