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.

Program progress

The Alexandria competition is complete. The next phase continues.

MIRRIAH, SmartWTI and Freza Nanotech received cash prizes. They are included in the 22 businesses selected for further coaching and investment-readiness support.

Read the announcementExplore the recap

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 startups led by women or applying a strong gender lens
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

This project is funded by the SANAD Fund for MSME through its advisory and capacity-building arm, which is managed by Finance in Motion GmbH.

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 Seedstars team that supported SANAD ElevateHer in Alexandria during Techne Summit 2026.

  • Sarah Said

    Sarah Said

    Senior Program Manager

  • Sheilla Otieno

    Sheilla Otieno

    Senior Program Manager

  • Nataly Yousef

    Nataly Yousef

    Principal, Seedstars

  • Abdelrahman K. Ragab

    Abdelrahman K. Ragab

    Program Manager

  • Sabrina Salama

    Sabrina Salama

    MENA Partnerships Lead

Regional competition at Techne

Alexandria, 3 to 5 October 2026

The Alexandria competition roster

Techne Summit Alexandria brought together founders, investors, talent and ecosystem enablers at Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The SANAD ElevateHer competition took place on 3 October 2026. The competition roster listed 36 of the program’s 38 startups: 12 from MENA and 24 from Sub-Saharan Africa. Following the pitching, 22 businesses were selected for further coaching and investment-readiness support, including the three cash-prize winners announced on 4 October.

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

Meet the 22 selected startups See the Alexandria recap

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