Seedstars & SANAD Launch ‘Elevate Her’ For Women-Led Startups in MEA

Swiss venture builder Seedstars and the SANAD Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) have introduced the SANAD ‘Elevate Her’ Programme, a multi-phase initiative targeting female-led and 2X-aligned startups across the Middle East and Africa. The programme seeks to equip women founders with capital, networks, and business support to scale in markets often overlooked by mainstream investors.

Seedstars operates across more than 90 emerging markets, combining mentorship, venture building, and catalytic capital to help startups prepare for growth. SANAD TAF complements this approach with a focus on economic resilience, entrepreneurship, and inclusion of women and youth in the region. Together, they are addressing an estimated $42 billion funding gap for women entrepreneurs, exacerbated by climate shocks, limited access to finance, and household responsibilities.

Over the coming months, the programme will select 40 startups from countries including Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, and Yemen. Participants will receive structured acceleration, investment-readiness support, and access to a network of mentors and investors. Priority sectors include sustainability, fintech, and agri-finance — areas with potential for job creation, climate resilience, and financial inclusion.

The initiative reflects a broader shift in emerging markets, where women founders are increasingly building solutions for essential services such as energy, agriculture, and payments, yet remain underfunded. By blending Seedstars’ market expertise with SANAD TAF’s regional development mandate, Elevate Her aims to support ventures that can withstand shocks, generate employment, and contribute to resilient entrepreneurial ecosystems.