On December 9th, Wetech, a community committed to empowering women in technology, organised its first-ever female founders conference. Established in 2018, Wetech aims to reduce barriers for women in the tech industry, fostering opportunities through networking, mentorship, and community-building initiatives.
In Africa, female participation in the tech sector remains below optimal levels, encountering substantial gender barriers. Less than 15% of tech start-ups boast a female co-founder, and merely 10% have a woman CEO.
Addressing these disparities, Wetech hosts an annual conference, with this year’s focus on “Women Defining Tech Entrepreneurship.” The event, held at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, drew prominent figures, including female founders, venture investors, and leaders in the tech industry.
Koromone Asabe-Yobaere, co-founder and chief brand officer at Jamit, kicked off the conference with a welcome note and moderated the panel on “The Role of Nonprofits and Community Building in Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurship.”
The insightful discussions included Flora Uwadiegwu and Gabriella Uwadiegwu, co-founders of Wetech, alongside Kaosi Anyanwu from Microsoft and Nsikan Ubi, CEO of NUBI Consulting. Topics ranged from sustainable nonprofit models to supporting social entrepreneurship.
Breakout sessions delved into critical themes such as “Tech for Good: Women Steering Impactful Ventures,” “Demystifying the Startup Evaluation: Insights from Investors,” “The Mind Matters: The Hidden Cost of Burnout and Recovery Strategies for Founders,” and “The Role of Female-Led Innovation in Edtech.” The final panel explored “Scaling Up: Growth Strategies for Female-Led Tech Startups.”
Key insights were shared during the conference, touching on investment and fundraising experiences. The “Demystifying Startup Evaluation” session featured Kenechi Eze, an investment analyst, Oluwadunni Fanibe from Techstars, and Gabriella, a founding partner at Archangel Fund. Discussions included due diligence, differentiating hype from true innovation, and the responsibility of investors to seek expertise in areas where they lack it.
The “Scaling Up” panel included perspectives from Kate Victory-Oedema, growth marketer at Founders Factory Africa; Uju Uzo-Ojinnaka, founder/CEO at Traders of Africa; and Sylvester Kay-Adade, LP relations at Ingressive Capital. Topics covered pitching for partnerships, collaboration strategies, and the importance of value creation.
In the session titled “Decoding the Art of VC Funding,” Dolapo Morgan from Ventures Platform Fund and Miishe Addy, Co-Founder and CEO of Jetstream Africa, explored venture capital and fund-seeking strategies. Tips were shared on pitching, demonstrating traction to investors, and key metrics for evaluating potential scalability.
Additional discussions at the conference addressed legal complexities for early-stage startups, challenges faced by female founders, and strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Notable speakers included Nissi Madu from CcHub, Kristin Wilson from Oui Capital, and Ifeoma Nwobu from Sendstack.
Wetech’s inaugural female founders conference proved to be a vital platform for fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and empowering women in the tech industry. The event highlighted the importance of addressing gender disparities and promoting diversity for a thriving tech ecosystem.
