Encubay, a diversity focussed startup incubator set up in collaboration with Greenhouse Capital Africa, is all set to roll out the first cohort of its incubation programme. And to kick-off the batch, it is inviting applications from women entrepreneurs.
Altogether 30 women-led startups will be selected for the first cohort of the programme. The shortlisted startups will go through a series of intensive, in-depth virtual learning programmes, expert sessions, and one-on-one mentorship over a period of six months. During this time, the founder(s) will be groomed and helped with growing their initial product or idea into an investment-ready business.
“The Encubay programme has been designed keeping in mind the complexity of issues that women face while scaling up their ventures. The Greenhouse Capital virtual learning programme will help them build a strong foundation in entrepreneurship, and the guidance provided by our mentors will help them apply the same in their businesses. Another very important aspect is the networks that will open up for these women entrepreneurs, which are strategic to scaling up,” said Deeksha Ahuja, Founder, Encubay.
At the heart of Encubay's incubation programme, the idea is to prepare the startups for the world outside and get them ready to pitch to investors and funds. At present, only 14 percent of the total entrepreneurs in India are women. Encubay aims at increasing this number substantially by facilitating every step of a woman-led startup’s growth process.
And in this endeavour, the incubator is assisted by Greenhouse Capital’s extensive virtual learning programme and a worldwide network of mentors.
Commenting on the programme, Ruby Nimkar, Principal at GreenHouse Capital, added:
“Now, more than ever, the spotlight is on diversity and inclusion across every sector of the industry, and technology and investment ecosystems are no exception . Even as emerging markets continue to churn out these impressive startups, the focus should be on ensuring women entrepreneurs have equal and genuine access to mentorship, investments, and resources to help them build sustainable and scalable growth models”.
The applications are open from July 6, 2020, to August 30, 2020. Find more details here.
(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)
