SANAD ElevateHer

Backing women-led companies across two regions

SANAD ElevateHer is a women-focused accelerator for early- and growth-stage entrepreneurs across the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. It combines practical capacity building, mentorship, business tools and access to networks.

Why the program exists

From stronger businesses to investment readiness

The program helps women entrepreneurs refine their business models, use data to track growth, prepare for finance and communicate their impact with greater clarity.

Its two regional cohorts bring together companies working across finance, agriculture and food systems, climate and sustainability, mobility, logistics, retail and the creative economy.

Current cohort
38 women-led startups
Program model
Capacity building, mentorship and practical tools
Regions
MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa

What founders work on

Practical support across the growth journey

The program combines hands-on guidance with tools and networks that founders can use as their companies grow.

  1. Build a stronger business

    Workshops, one-to-one guidance and sector-specific support help founders refine their business models around their current needs.

  2. Prepare for finance

    Mentorship and data-informed tools help founders test assumptions, track growth and strengthen their investment readiness.

  3. Design for inclusive impact

    Founders work with gender-lens principles and practical indicators for building more inclusive products, employment and business practices.

  4. Connect and present

    Ecosystem connections, visibility opportunities and regional pitching help founders expand their networks and communicate what they are building.

Seedstars tools
SMART™ Methodology and SIGMA™ platform

Who the program supports

Built for women-led, impact-driven companies

SANAD ElevateHer works with early- and growth-stage companies that are women-led or apply a strong gender lens to ownership, leadership, employment, customers or the entrepreneurs they support.

Stage
Prototype or MVP through growth stage
Model
For-profit and tech-enabled
Focus
Livelihoods, resilience and inclusion

Partner roles

Funded by SANAD Fund for MSME

SANAD’s Advisory & Capacity Building arm supports entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and resilience in the Middle East and Africa, with a focus on women and young people.

About SANAD

Delivered by Seedstars

Seedstars brings program delivery experience from emerging markets, combining capacity development with community and access to capital.

About Seedstars

In Alexandria

Meet the Seedstars team

The team supporting the SANAD ElevateHer program at Techne Summit 2026.

  • Sarah Said

    Sarah Said

  • Sheilla Otieno

    Sheilla Otieno

  • Nataly Yousef

    Nataly Yousef

  • Abdelrahman K. Ragab

    Abdelrahman K. Ragab

  • Sabrina Salama

    Sabrina Salama

Program finale at Techne

Alexandria, 3 to 5 October 2026

The companies presenting in Alexandria

Techne Summit Alexandria brings founders, investors, talent and ecosystem enablers together at Bibliotheca Alexandrina. SANAD ElevateHer supports 38 startups in total, with 36 presenting in Alexandria: 12 from MENA and 24 from Sub-Saharan Africa.

City
Alexandria, Egypt
Program week
1 to 5 October 2026
Pitch day
Saturday, 3 October 2026, Arena Stage, Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Visit Techne Summit 2026

MENA (12)

  • Eco-Dahab Egypt
  • E-Tafakna Tunisia
  • Farinas Marketing Services Egypt
  • GARBALISER Lebanon
  • GoToGreen Tunisia
  • Jafife Morocco
  • MIRRIAH Morocco
  • Mknooon ltd Palestine, Jordan
  • Pixii Motors France, Tunisia
  • SMART COLLECTE Morocco
  • SmartWTI Jordan
  • TSNGF Egypt

Sub-Saharan Africa (24)

  • AGRO KOOM Senegal
  • Biowax Ghana Limited Ghana
  • Brisfa Kenya
  • Capapo Solutions Kenya
  • EcoGreen Solutions Ltd Rwanda
  • Ecorich Solutions Limited Kenya
  • Essymart Africa Uganda
  • Flezpay Nigeria
  • Freza Nanotech limited Uganda
  • Gardpath Technologies Ghana
  • Hydroponics Gardens Masaka Uganda
  • KABEHO DESIGNS LTD Rwanda
  • Madame Taxi Kenya
  • Ndovu Inc Kenya
  • Nyamula Logistics Zimbabwe
  • Repel Kenya
  • Riziki Nature Based Solutions Kenya
  • Sackan Farms Ghana
  • SmartWatt Company Limited Ghana
  • Soko Kijiji Kenya
  • Success For People Microfinance Company Limited Ghana
  • VunaPay Kenya
  • WAVU Kenya
  • ziya Kenya

The companies

Browse the cohort by region

MENA cohort Sub-Saharan Africa cohort