In a significant move to address the stark funding inequality for women entrepreneurs in tech, global investment giants Naspers and Prosus have announced the Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge.
The programme will award a total of $100,000 in equity-free grants to outstanding women-led startups across the continent.
This initiative, launched in partnership with the Lionesses of Africa network, directly tackles a critical issue: while women represent 26% of Africa’s entrepreneurs, their startups receive less than 3% of venture capital funding. This gap, estimated at $42 billion, represents a massive untapped opportunity for continental economic growth.
“The Tech FoundHER Challenge is about closing one of Africa’s mosturgent gaps in entrepreneurship – the lack of funding and visibility for women-led startups,” said Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, South Africa CEO and Executive Director of Naspers and Prosus.
“Female founders are already proving that they can build competitive, tech-enabled businesses that drive growth and innovation. What they need now is the capital, networks, and market access to scale.
“By backing them, we are not only empowering individual entrepreneurs but unlocking economic opportunities that will benefit entire communities and the continent at large.”
Beyond the financial injection, the Tech FoundHER Challenge provides a comprehensive support package designed for sustainable scaling. This includes:
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Mentorship: Access to senior leaders within the vast Naspers-Prosus ecosystem.
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Expert Feedback: Assessment from a high-calibre panel of investors and executives.
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Unparalleled Visibility: Six shortlisted founders will pitch at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (November 19, 2025).
The challenge is open to revenue-generating, tech or tech-enabled startups with at least one woman in a leadership position and at or before Series B funding stage. Applications are open from September 1, 2025, via the Lionesses of Africa website.
“This challenge is designed to give proven women-led startups the platform, connections, and confidence to scale sustainably,” said Prajna Khanna, Chief Sustainability Officer at Naspers and Prosus.
