Hello Innovators! 👋

Precious here from SASIE, your partner in tech entrepreneurship.

Happy new week! The final six weeks of 2025 present a crucial opportunity to secure capital, and this week’s issue focuses on meeting those rapidly approaching deadlines.

This week is filled with valuable opportunities designed to elevate your business or organisation before the year concludes. Inside, you'll find:

• A $140 Million NGN prize pool for African developers and innovators.

• Grants up to $150,000 USD for CSOs working on political empowerment in ODA-eligible countries.

• A major US-based fellowship, including a potential $100,000 pitch prize, is exclusively for women entrepreneurs.

Don't let the holiday rush distract you. The biggest checks are often written right before the fiscal year closes. Check the deadlines and apply now!

Madica Structured Investment Program

Pre-Seed Investment & 18-Month Program for African Startups

Madica is an African pre-seed stage company structured investment program dedicated to empowering mission-driven underrepresented founders. It provides a blend of significant capital, personal mentorship, and a rigorous 18-month support curriculum aimed at speeding up growth, reducing risk, and getting ventures ready for follow-on rounds of funding.

What You'll Receive

• Equity Investment: $200,000 USD max equity (via founder-friendly SAFEs).

• Structured Mentorship: 18 months of highly individualized mentorship, one-on-one mentoring with veteran operators, and executive mentoring.

• Fully-Funded Immersion Trips: Three fully-funded week-long immersion trips to leading African and global ecosystems (e.g., Cape Town and London) for workshops and networking.

• Perks and Tools: Access to carefully selected tools, training, and credits from partners like AWS, Carta, and Salesforce.

• Global Network: Access to the broader community of Madica (a Flourish Ventures partner).

Who Can Apply?

• Stage: Pre-seed ventures.

• Must be a venture "Made in Africa"—i.e., core operations and leadership are on the African continent.

• Must have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and, ideally, some paying customers.

• Must be founded and led by African founders who plan to work on the venture full-time.

• Startups that have raised little or no institutional capital.

Global Feminist Technology and Innovation Lab (UN Women)

Call for Proposals & USD $110,000 Grant for CSOs

UN Women has opened a call for a Civil Society Organization (CSO) to set up and run a Global Feminist Technology and Innovation Lab. The aim is to strengthen women's rights organizations and activists globally by combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TFVAWG) and utilizing technology to promote gender equality.

What You'll Receive

• Grant Funding: A total of $110,000 USD is available, split equally across two areas of focus ($55,000 USD each). Proposals can be submitted for one or both areas.

• Global Impact: Lead an innovative global platform for cross-sectoral collaboration, learning, and advocacy.

• Influence: Inform evidence-based advocacy to influence public policy on digital resilience and the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) agenda.

• Program Duration: The implementation will take place from November 2025 to June 2026.

Deadline: October 31, 2025

Call for Proposals: Women's Leadership and Political Participation (WYDE | UN Women)

Grants of up to $150,000 to CSOs in Political Advocacy

UN Women, under the WYDE | Women's Leadership program (funded by the European Union), invites proposals from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to enhance women's full and effective participation in politics and decision-making. The request is open to organizations with expertise in catalyzing social norms change, intergenerational and intersectional leadership, and feminist movements mobilization in ODA-eligible member countries.

What You'll Receive

• Grant Financing: $45,000 – $150,000 USD per grant.

• Duration of the Program: Up to 22 months for project implementation (December 31, 2027).

• Strategic Focus: Funding for high-impact strategies like setting up political leadership academies, social norms/narrative change campaigns, and lobbying for structural reforms.

• Priority in Partnership: Preference accorded to proposals indicating consortia or sub-partnering with youth or constituency-led organizations.

Deadline: November 10, 2025

AFR100 Land Accelerator Africa Project 2025

The AFR100 Land Accelerator, led by AUDA-NEPAD, WRI, and others, is a network and curated accelerator for African entrepreneurs launching market-based businesses to restore degraded forests and cropland. The accelerator provides the technical and business expertise these entrepreneurs need to scale their businesses and attract investment.

What You'll Receive

• Financial Grant: An award of a $5,000 USD Innovation Grant for the Top 100 selected land restoration entrepreneurs (with the support of SIDA and AUDA-NEPAD).

• Intensive Training: Weekly virtual training sessions and co-mentoring for three months (Phase One).

• Investor Access: One-week in-person intensive workshop with an Impact Day during which selected companies pitch to public investors.

• Networking: Exposure to a screened network of technical experts, mentors, and other entrepreneurs who are ready to connect with potential investors.

Who Can Apply?

• Entrepreneurs leading an enterprise or venture focused on restoring degraded farmland and forests in Africa.

• The company must be market-based (goods or services) and already operating (not the idea or pre-revenue stage).

• Projects must focus on areas such as:

• Smart agriculture and soil monitoring.

• Agroforestry, silvopasture, and sustainable forest products.

• Water conservation and soil organic amendments.

Deadline: October 30, 2025

Zenith Bank Zecathon 5.0

Zenith Bank Zecathon 5.0 is Africa's premier innovation challenge, bringing developers, entrepreneurs, and innovation visionaries together for a Startup Pitch Competition and Hackathon. The program aims to drive Africa's digital revolution by empowering creators to bring bold ideas into fruition as real solutions, in the hope of shaping the digital and tech future of the continent and banking disruption.

What You'll Get

• Cash Prize: Win a combined cash prize fund of ₦140 Million NGN.

• Exposure: Showcase your talent and idea on a continental platform.

• Mentorship & Resources: Receive mentorship, resources, and access to opportunities to accelerate your startup.

• Investor Access: Get access to investors who can scale your business.

• Two Tracks: Choose either the Startup Pitch Competition (to pitch, scale, and transform Africa) or the Hackathon (to code, build, and disrupt banking).

Who Can Apply?

• African entrepreneurs, developers, and innovation thought leaders.

• Startups and innovators with ambitious ideas are propelling Africa's future in digital and technology.

• Innovators who are interested in creating intelligent financial solutions that reshape the future of digital banking (Hackathon track).

Deadline: October 31, 2025.

ICYMI

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• VCs vs. Angel Investors: Which is Right for You - Founders Network

• 5 ChatGPT Prompts to Help You Perform Business Analysis - All Business

• 5 entrepreneurs share the advice that keeps them grounded - Business Insider

• African Forum & Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) Internship Program 2026 for young professionals.

• Internship Opportunity at WACSI Node Nigeria – Apply Before 26 October 2025

• Diya, Fatimilehin & Co Graduate Trainee Program 2025 for young Nigerian graduates.

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