In an event focused on technology and entrepreneurship, StartHub Africa recently hosted the demo day for the She Techs The Future project at their Bukoto offices. The event represents a notable milestone in the journey of women in the Ugandan tech industry.
The She Techs The Future initiative has a goal to empower and support digital ventures led by women in East Africa, starting from the initial idea generation phase and progressing to investment opportunities.
Various stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives from prominent development organizations, came together to witness the remarkable accomplishments of women in the Ugandan tech sector.
James Macbeth Forbes, the country director of GIZ Uganda, expressed GIZ Uganda’s commitment to empowering the youth of Uganda through substantial support for their digital innovations.
Several tech founders took the stage to pitch their ideas at the demo day, such as Pearl Gakazi representing Kolaborate, Patricia Giramia from Cyanase Investors, Shadia Nassanga leading Emun App, Nambogo Nurait representing MobiCare, Tugume Brenda of Esoptron Salon, and Doreen Ninsiima from Instant Biomed. This gathering underscores the growing potential of female entrepreneurs in East Africa’s tech landscape.
One of the event’s highlights was a panel discussion featuring successful tech entrepreneurs who have made significant strides in their respective fields. Sandra Awili, the founder of ShareCard, Pearl Gakazi, co-founder of Kolaborate, Patricia Giramia, the CTO of Cyanase Investors, and Vaola Amumpaire, the founder of Wena Hardware, led an engaging discussion on the role of mentorship and strategic networking to benefit female entrepreneurs.
Vaola emphasized the importance of women confidently expressing themselves and fostering meaningful collaboration without fear of misinterpretation by others, particularly men.
Esteemed guests, including the country director of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), James Macbeth Forbes, Laura Kübke of Business Scouts for Development, Koichiro Yamamoto from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and many others, graced the demo day.
The She Techs The Future project began in April 2023 with ideathons held at four universities in Uganda and Tanzania. These ideathons served as platforms for creative ideas and paved the way for female innovators to begin their entrepreneurial journeys. Following the ideathons, a week-long boot camp brought together over 15 female innovators from across Uganda, providing them with comprehensive training, workshops, and mentorship to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the tech industry.
The success of this project is attributed to the collaborative efforts of StartHub Africa and Business Scouts for Development (BSfD) by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The support and involvement of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and Sequa, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), further emphasize the project’s significance and impact.
