Wetech Women Foundation has partnered with the UK Nigeria Tech Hub, supported through the United Kingdom Government’s Digital Access Programme, to launch the PitchHer Investment Readiness Programme, an initiative aimed at preparing Nigerian women entrepreneurs to successfully attract investment.
The eight week programme will select 25 women founders from across Nigeria and provide them with practical training to help them become investment ready.
Participants will receive guidance on financial planning, investor engagement and pitch presentation, giving them the skills and confidence needed to seek funding from angel investors, venture capital firms and other financiers.
The organisers said the programme is designed to address one of the biggest challenges facing women entrepreneurs by providing access to high quality investment education, experienced mentors, a strong investor network and opportunities to showcase their businesses.
After the first six weeks, six participants will be chosen through a live mock pitching session to advance to the final stage of the programme.
The selected finalists will undergo two additional weeks of personalised coaching, pitch deck refinement and simulated investor question and answer sessions to prepare them for the grand finale.
They will then present their businesses before more than 2,500 investors, business leaders and technology stakeholders during the Wetech 2026 Flagship Conference titled The Power Shift on September 26, 2026, where they will compete for a total prize pool of N8.5 million.
Speaking on the initiative, President of Wetech, Gabriella Uwadiegwu, noted that although African startups attracted about 3.2 billion dollars in funding, only 0.9 percent went to businesses founded by women.
She said the funding gap continues to limit economic growth and innovation, adding that the programme was created to help more women entrepreneurs gain access to the capital needed to expand their businesses.
PitchHer is open to women founded or women co founded startups based in Nigeria that are currently at the pre seed stage and already have a product or service in the market.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate early business traction or a validated market problem and should be planning to raise investment within the next 12 to 18 months.
Businesses already generating revenue, serving customers or actively testing their products with users are encouraged to apply. The programme is open to founders from all sectors.
Applications are currently open and will close on July 10, 2026. Only 25 founders will be selected for the inaugural cohort.
The programme is scheduled to begin on August 3, 2026, while the final pitch competition will take place on September 26, 2026, at the Landmark Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The UK Nigeria Tech Hub operates under the United Kingdom Government’s Digital Access Programme and supports inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital transformation across Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
Wetech is a Pan African nonprofit organisation focused on empowering women across Africa’s technology sector through training programmes, networking opportunities and initiatives that help women build and grow innovative businesses.
