RevUp Women – Women Entrepreneurs Incubation Program
Watch for next cohort announcements via AfriLabs and RAD5
RevUp Women is a transformative enterprise development program funded by the Visa Foundation, in partnership with AfriLabs – and delivered in Abia State by RAD5 Tech Hub. The program is built to empower early-stage, women-led startups and SMEs to overcome the unique challenges that hinder their growth, and to accelerate them into profitable, job-creating ventures. The Abia edition of RevUp Women ran a rigorous 12-week journey of learning, building, and growth, training women entrepreneurs in business strategy, financial modelling, market expansion, technology adoption, and investment readiness. After the 12-week program, the top 10 finalists competed at a Demo Day and Awards Ceremony held at RAD5 Tech Hub in Aba, pitching their business models to a panel of industry judges for $8,000 in equity-free seed funding. At the 2026 Abia Demo Day, Rita Onyinyechi Obi of Fendol Limited won $5,000, and Utibe Akwa of Utytrends Global Ventures received $3,000. RevUp Women is part of AfriLabs’ pan-African inclusion strategy and the Visa Foundation’s $200 million Equitable Access Initiative – targeting Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, DRC, and South Africa. RAD5 is the proud Abia State implementing partner, championing women’s economic leadership in Southeast Nigeria.
Program Benefits
- 12-week intensive hybrid accelerator focused on business growth, market expansion, and investment readiness
- Peer-to-peer learning and mentoring by female coaches and industry leaders
- Access to AfriLabs' pan-African innovation network and investor connections
- Demo Day pitch competition for equity-free grant funding
- Abia 2026 edition: $8,000 in equity-free funding distributed among top finalists
- Visibility, brand credibility, and access to wider funding opportunities post-program
Requirements
- Must be a woman entrepreneur who owns at least 51% of the business
- Must be the CEO, Executive Director, or equivalent of the company
- Business must be based in Abia State (or Lagos/Abuja in national cohort editions)
- Must operate in E-commerce or Agribusiness (current cohort focus)
- Must have an existing product or service already in the market with evidence of sales
- Business must have been operational for a minimum of 3 years
- Must commit to the full 12-week hybrid program and 3-month follow-on mentorship
- Must be registered and incorporated in Nigeria