Finalists announced for 2015 She Leads Africa pitch competition

The She Leads Africa competition has announced its top six finalists for the 2015 Entrepreneur Showcase event. Taking place between 25 to 26 September in Lagos, Nigeria, the finalists will pitch to a panel of judges and compete for the grand prize.

Apart from first place receiving US$10 000 in cash, direct access to investors, and international media exposure, second place will receive US$5 000 while third place will receive US$1 000.

She Leads Africa will also invest between US$25 000 and US$50 000 in two of the top five businesses. This investment is meant to allow for further expansion for the selected companies.

She Leads Africa has been created to support and invest in high-growth female entrepreneurs on the African continent (some of the She Leads Africa participants are pictured in the image above).

Co-founder of She Leads Africa Yasmin Belo-Osagie weighs in on this year’s judging panel:

We are very excited about the judging panel for this year’s She Leads Africa Entrepreneur Showcase. The panel is made up of established and well-respected individuals from the consulting, media and finance sectors. Each judge’s professional insight and experience will play an important role in deciding the winners of this year’s Entrepreneur Showcase.

Read more: She Leads Africa calls public to vote for favourite female entrepreneur

The judging panel will include Tunde Folawiyo, managing director of the Yinka Folawiyo Group; Huda Al Lawati, Abraaj Capital Middle East and North Africa chief investment officer; Acha Leke, director, McKinsey & Company; Mo Abudu, founder of Ebony Life TV; and Segun Agbaje, managing director & CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank.

Read more: She Leads Africa announces 5 female entrepreneurs for China Innovation Visit

This year, She Leads Africa received nearly 400 startups applications from 20 countries. Out of those submissions, six have been chosen to compete for the final prize. The six finalists have a combined revenue of US$3-million and service more than 11 000 customers.

The chosen finalists are as follows:

• Beauty Rev NG – an African commerce and online community for makeup artists and beauty bloggers.
• Heat Free Hair – manufacturer of virgin hair for African textured, kinky, and curly hair.
• Heels In The Kitchen – cooking show integrated with fashion and style edge.
• InstaHealth – mobile phone connection system for connecting doctors, patients, and healthcare information.
• KAMOKINI – a swimwear and accessory company catering to average body-conscious yet stylish consumers.
• OmoAlata – food production company focusing on locally packaged Nigerian soups, spices and peppers.

Tickets for the event can be reserved through the website.