Nigeria to host Africa Tech Female Founder Summit

TLcom Capital, an Africa-focused venture capital firm, has unveiled plans for its fifth annual Africa Tech Female Founder Summit, set to take place on 14 November in Lagos, Nigeria. This event, billed as the largest gathering of women in tech across the continent, aims to empower and support female entrepreneurs amidst challenging global economic conditions.

The theme for this year’s summit, “Building resilience: adapting to new realities”, resonates deeply with the challenges faced by African founders and operators in the current economic climate. The event will feature a prominent line-up of speakers, including Julia Collins, the pioneering founder and CEO of Planet FWD, renowned for her significant contributions to climate technology.

Julia Collins, the first black woman to create a unicorn start-up, will headline the summit with a fireside conversation, sharing her invaluable insights into the world of tech entrepreneurship. Collins, now leading Planet FWD, a leading decarbonisation platform for consumer companies, will also host a masterclass session on getting to product market fit.

Joining her will be esteemed panellists, including Cikü Mugambi (Kobo360), Enas Siam (FlexStock), and Thomas Njeru (Pula), who will discuss the theme of resilience in their panel, “When the going gets tough”. Additionally, Tokunbo Ishmael (Alithea Capital) will address the importance of investing in women.

The summit will feature various masterclasses, including sessions led by TLcom Partners such as Eloho Omame. A special focus on building and leveraging networks will be presented by leading executive visibility expert, Glory Edozien. This comprehensive approach aims to equip attendees with practical skills and strategies vital for navigating the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in the tech industry.

Reflecting on the event, Omobola Johnson, senior partner at TLcom Capital, emphasised the importance of resilience in the face of adversity, stating, “We want to discuss in depth what resilience means, how it can be infused into businesses, their leaders, and their teams.”

Andreata Muforo, partner at TLcom Capital, added, “We want all attendees to leave with not only a vision and renewed sense of community support but also with actionable insights that will benefit their businesses.”

TLcom Capital, through its TIDE Africa Fund II, says it remains committed to supporting female entrepreneurs. The firm actively addresses the funding gap for the continent’s female tech innovators, exemplified by its investments in top female-led start-ups like Okra and Pula.

TLcom’s dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem is evident through its initiatives, including the co-investment commitment to FirstCheck Africa’s debut fund.

The summit marks a significant milestone for TLcom Capital, which manages total commitments of approximately $350mn and supports a wide array of start-ups across Africa.

With an extensive portfolio including Andela, Ajua, Autochek, Ilara Health, Kobo360, Okra, Pastel, Pula, Seamless HR, Shara, Terragon Group, Twiga Foods, uLesson, and Vendease, TLcom continues to invest in high-growth, tech-enabled start-ups across various sectors, ranging from agriculture to fintech, data analytics, and logistics.

For more information and to apply, visit the TLcom Capital website.

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