FirstCheck is Fixing the Underrepresentation of Women in African Technology
Entrepreneurship and technology are high-leverage opportunities for African women to build wealth and influence, not only as founders but also as investors. In 2019, less than 5% of global venture capital was allotted to female-led companies, and recent research also showed that women in tech across the world make up only about 28.8% of the technology workforce.
With this negative trend faced by women, FirstCheck Africa, a female-led angel fund and investment community is on a mission to fix the underrepresentation of women in the African technology sector. FirstCheck wants to advance equity, capital and leadership for a generation of women in Africa through technology and entrepreneurship.
With FirstCheck, Eloho Omame, Managing Director of Endeavor Nigeria and Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of PiggyVest are helping African women in tech rise above misrepresentation in the sector. FirstCheck wants to make it easy for African women to raise capital and invest in technology. They are, therefore, creating a future where women have an equal hand in leading and shaping Africa’s wealth creation through technology and entrepreneurship.
FirstCheck’s Value Proposition
FirstCheck will invest up to $25,000 each in African women with bold entrepreneurial ideas, working to help them raise a significant pre-seed round within 12 months. FirstCheck will also develop the middle tier of female angel investors, by building a community of millennials and mid-career women that want to learn about tech and angel investing, as well as put their dollars, whether small or large behind ventured-backed technology companies in Africa. FirstCheck is, therefore, looking for audacious women in technology, who are determined to launch their first tech-enabled startups; and mission-aligned partners that are aware of the overlooked potentials of women-led startups in Africa.
FirstCheck believes that fixing capital access for female tech entrepreneurs in Africa needs an intentional female-led approach. They draw inspiration from mission-driven, female-led investor communities like Portfolio, Operator Collective, All Raise and a growing list of women-led, women-focused VC funds who have turned their direct experience and unique empathy for problems faced by female founders into a competitive advantage.
In this light, FirstCheck believes Africa’s solution will as well come from women-led efforts dedicated to achieving better long-term outcomes for the technology ecosystem. They know that the best way to support female founders is to act consistently and with conviction; committing risk capital and work with women in tech to increase their odds of success, even if it means rolling up sleeves to help women take their various ideas to MVP, build early traction and raise their next rounds of funding.
To launch, invest or partner with FirstCheck, visit the official page – firstcheck.africa