The Arise accelerator programme has been launched by StrongHer Ventures, a platform for female entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, in collaboration with workspace provider WeWork Labs. The initiative aims to work with 5,000 businesses, mentor 1,000 entrepreneurs, invest in over 200 firms, and generate a $1 billion value. The 12-week programme will give participants an in-depth look into competitive strategy, design, marketing, operations, and fundraising. Investor meetings and a demo day will follow.
Pre-seed funding is available for women-led and women-focused firms in fields such as fintech, health, the future of work/life, consumer, and Web 3.0. The programme is led by Ankita Vashistha, founder and managing partner of StrongHer Ventures, and Arvind Radhakrishnan, head of Labs at WeWork India. Vashistha is no stranger to the startup world. She established the Rs 100-crore Saha Fund a few years ago. She recently launched StrongHer Ventures, a $100 million fund aimed at accelerating and supporting the growth of women entrepreneurs in India. “We are looking to identify and create 200-250 women entrepreneurs through the platform over the next five years," she stated.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon, Kirthiga Reddy of WeWork, Deepak Parekh of HDFC Bank, Upasana Taku of MobiKwik, former Zensar CEO Ganesh Natarajan, and Avinash Vashistha, former CMD of Accenture India, are among the women entrepreneurs who have benefited from Arise.
Ankita Vashistha, according to Parekh, has built a forum for women entrepreneurs, who are a key untapped source of economic growth in India.
