This New Initiative Is Dedicated To Scaling Women-Led Startups In Africa
Alami Capital, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are collaborating to launch the LaunchPad at GITEX Nigeria 2025, a pioneering investment and venture-building platform designed to scale Africa’s most promising women-led startups.
Women in Africa own 27% of businesses and contribute 13% of GDP, and yet they only receive 7% of total venture capital. The LaunchPad will tackle the under-capitalization of women-owned startups.
After GITEX Nigeria, The LaunchPad will give $250,000 in catalytic capital to 5 selected ventures, along with mentorship and deep ecosystem alignment to position them for long-term growth.
“The LaunchPad ensures women founders are not just part of the conversation but central to Africa’s innovation economy. Closing this funding gap for women is not charity, it’s one of the smartest bets we can make for Africa’s future,” Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA, adds.
GITEX Nigeria
GITEX Nigeria is a four-day event bringing government, investors, corporates, and startups together for conferences, exhibitions, and deal-making.
Other touchpoints at GITEX include Fireside for Scale – A high-level dialogue with African CEOs and global investors on market expansion and IPO readiness sectors, Capital Readiness Clinics – Investor “office hours” for women founders preparing for capital engagement, and more.
The LaunchPad
The LaunchPad joins a select global league of women-focused investment initiatives. Still, it differs from grant-only models such as the Cartier Women’s Initiative or short-term accelerators as it offers equity investment, regulatory de-risking, and a continuous pathway to scale.
They are seeking ventures that are owned by African women entrepreneurs operating in technology, equipped with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and validated traction, with clear pathways for scalable growth, ready to scale with access to catalytic capital and regulatory insights and ventures that would also be able to exhibit at the GITEX Nigeria summit in Nigeria in the premium exhibition space.
“As an investor, I witness the economics of exclusion every day. This is about building a vetted, investable pipeline of women-led ventures grounded in institutional rigor,” Olu Olufemi-White, CEO of Alami, said. “Our mission is to shift capital flows, transform investment behavior, and unlock Africa’s full innovation potential.”
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