Source: Disrupt Africa

I’M IN Entrepreneurial Programme has officially opened applications for the inaugural Ideation Incubator,  exclusively targeting female students with technology start-up ideas. Over a 3-month period, the selected  qualifying female students will receive an equity-free investment of R50,000 in the form of a participation  stipend, data & laptop costs, business skills training and access to the I’M IN ecosystem. Applications are open https://www.imin.business/ until 12th May 2023. 

We are looking for exciting and disruptive technology ideas across all verticals. More  importantly, we want to partner with Black female students who are excited to use  technology to solve real problems in their communities and share our mission-driven  approach.” Said Palesa Tabai, I’M IN Programme Lead”. 

To qualify, female students need to be from the 7 selected institutions in Gauteng: University of  Johannesburg (Soweto), Tshwane University of Technology, Vaal University of Technology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and the Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology, Wethinkcode  and Girl Code. 

The I’M IN Ideation Incubator Programme aims to empower Black female students from non-traditional  tech or non-tech-enabled entrepreneurship backgrounds. We believe that providing these students with mentorship, guidance, and a clear roadmap for securing essential funding will increase the rate of  technology adoption in their communities.

By offering this support, the programme levels the playing field  and offers a unique opportunity for female students to develop solutions to address challenges faced by  their own communities. At I’M IN, we are committed to equipping these under-represented voices with  the necessary tools to contribute to the African tech ecosystem. 

Business ownership is an important avenue for wealth building across the world, yet equitable access to critical resources needed for business to grow and scale is  limited.” Says Kevin Latter, Senior Country Officer for Sub-Saharan Africa at J.P. Morgan, “J.P. Morgan is pleased to be supporting I’M IN’s Ideation Incubator 

Programme to help advance access to mentorship, capital, and other supportive  resources to help close this gap for underserved female entrepreneurs in South  Africa”.

A total of 30 start-up ideas are earmarked to be part of the I’M IN Ideation Incubator Cohort 1. 

To apply for the I’M IN Ideation incubator intake, Black female students with technology ideas visit http://www.imin.business and complete a short form by 12th May 2023. For any enquiries, interested  participants can also send an email to admin@imin.business 

About I’M IN

I’M IN Accelerator backs early-stage technology start-ups to achieve commercial sustainability by  providing Pre-seed investment, effective business and technical support. 

Until 2021, I’M IN was only targeting technology start-ups with a validated Minimum Viable Product “MVP”, and proven product-market fit. Following the forementioned selection criteria, the acceleration services  were tailored exclusively for such businesses. 

In 2021, after realizing that there wasn’t sufficient female representation in all I’M IN cohorts, an all-female  pre-accelerator pilot was launched to support female entrepreneurs needing to move from ideation to  Proof of Concept “POC” or MVP. This pilot was successful in assisting 4 female tech entrepreneurs to  reach MVP. 

As part of its objective of building a pipeline of investment ready tech start–ups, I ‘M IN is launching its  first ideation incubator targeting female students from previously disadvantaged communities.  

About J.P. MORGAN

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of  America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $3.7 trillion in assets and $292 billion  in stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2022.

The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial  services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing  and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of  customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government  clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com. 

Source: Disrupt Africa