India Accelerator Empowers Women-Led Tech Ventures with FoundHer Initiative

To celebrate International Women’s Day, India Accelerator, India’s leading fund-led accelerator and a part of the Global Accelerator Network, is excited to host FoundHer— a Demo Day dedicated to empowering women founders in the technology startup space.

In India, women entrepreneurs often face challenges in accessing expert-led mentorship, funding and visibility. They represent only a small fraction of the Indian startup ecosystem burgeoning with over 1.5 lakh registered startups. To offer unprecedented support, IA has launched FoundHer initiative to create an exclusive platform for women founders to showcase their potential and startup innovation. It is based on a strategic approach to bridge the critical gap of inclusivity by connecting women founders with investors, mentors and industry leaders, thereby, providing them with the right resources.

Elated with the campaign, Ashish Bhatia, Founder & CEO of India Accelerator said, “We are committed to unlocking new growth opportunities for women founders. This campaign is in complete sync with our promise to provide significant exposure to startup founders in both industry circles and investors community. Such initiatives are instrumental in fostering a more inclusive startup ecosystem for women.”

To spark curiosity, IA strategically evokes conversations around the campaign with highly engaging social media campaigns under the hashtag #IAFoundHer. The campaign builds intrigue with thought-provoking posts that ask questions such as "Found Her?" and "Did You Find Her?”, following it up with a slew of communication on various social media platforms around announcing the event, talking about the process and the attractive gratifications, including Capital deployment to winning start-ups.

As part of the strategy, IA will invite participants to submit their pitches in PowerPoint or video format. Through this approach, IA intends to invite startup applications from across the nation; thereby fostering a movement that provides a platform to the maximum number of women founders. It will also encourage women founders to tag India Accelerator and share their entrepreneurial journeys which will also augment the accelerator’s efforts in building a supportive community for women.

To participate in the campaign, aspiring women entrepreneurs can review the campaign guidelines and submit their innovative business ideas on IA’s official website. IA will shortlist the top five game-changing startups and invite them to participate in its exclusive Pitch & Demo Day. A panel of four distinguished evaluators are dedicated to assess the pitches and provide valuable feedback to the participants.

With this Women's Day campaign, IA undertakes a bold step towards building a diverse and inclusive startup ecosystem. By creating a dedicated platform for women founders, India Accelerator is addressing the systemic challenges and transforming the way women entrepreneurs lead the charge in the Tech industry.

About India Accelerator:

India Accelerator (IA), the country's preeminent seed-stage startup accelerator, and the recipient of the "Best Accelerator of the Country" award from Start-up India in 2022. Our commitment to fostering innovation and supporting upcoming founders has consistently positioned us at the forefront of the Indian start-up ecosystem. Along with the Accelerator, we are also very active in early-stage investments through its Joint Venture ‘Finvolve’ and its 3 AIFs & a Gift City Fund. IA is not just about funding; it is a holistic ecosystem enhancer that provides startups with the necessary tools, mentorship, and network to thrive in the competitive landscape.