Swiss venture builder Seedstars has teamed up with the SANAD Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to launch the SANAD ‘Elevate Her’ Programme, a new initiative aimed at supporting women-led and 2X-aligned startups across the Middle East and Africa. The multi-stage programme is designed to equip female founders with access to capital, business know-how, and wider networks in regions where they are often sidelined by mainstream investors.

Seedstars, which works across more than 90 emerging markets, brings its mix of mentorship, venture building, and catalytic funding to the collaboration. SANAD TAF adds its regional priorities of economic resilience and the advancement of women and young entrepreneurs. Together, both organisations are responding to what they describe as a $42 billion funding gap facing women founders, driven by climate pressures, financial barriers, and domestic responsibilities.

Over the coming months, 40 startups will be chosen from countries including Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, and Yemen. Selected companies will receive tailored acceleration support, investment-readiness training, and entry into a wider circle of mentors and investors. Key sectors include sustainability, fintech, and agri-finance, which are areas seen as critical for job creation, climate adaptation, and financial inclusion.

The initiative aligns with wider trends across emerging markets, where more women are building solutions in vital areas such as energy, agriculture, and payments but continue to face major funding hurdles. By drawing on Seedstars’ market experience and SANAD TAF’s development focus, Elevate Her aims to back ventures capable of absorbing shocks, creating jobs, and strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems.