IT NEWS NIGERIA
IT News Nigeria:
Stanbic IBTC Founder Institute has announced Wednesday the opening of APPLICATIONS for its Cohort III in Lagos, a program aimed at supporting startups to launch new companies across Nigeria and the rest of Africa, statement said.
It added that Stanbic IBTC Founder Institute Lagos which launched in the 4th Quarter of 2018 has since then, churned out over 40 companies through its first two cohorts. Now, FI is set to receive and review applications for its third cohort.
Founder Institute is the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator which is based in Silicon Valley with chapters across 65 countries. In Nigeria, FI currently has chapters in Lagos and Abuja, and FI’s mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful, technology enabled companies worldwide.
The Founder Institute’s curriculum is a rigorous 14-week blended program which guides founders as they build their solutions; matches founders with accomplished mentors who provide practical and real-time guidance; and helps founders grow their network and reach within the local and global tech ecosystems.
Despite, or perhaps because of its strenuous nature, FI Founders have nothing but high praise for the program;
“Once you make that decision to be an entrepreneur, you need only one thing -FI. FI boosts of an awesome program that ensures success on your entrepreneurial journey. I wish I had gone through it earlier.” – Titilope Adewusi, Co-founder; 9ijakids
According to the Founder of Loystar, Ayo Dawodu; “The FI program is for any entrepreneur looking to be thorough in building a solid foundation for the success of their business. It is highly recommended.”
Every Graduate company of the Founder Institute is a part of the global FI community of solutions which have been tested, tweaked and validated by the founders, with the help and support of mentors who are themselves startup CEOs with valid experiences and relevant networks.
Founder Institute Lagos is also committed to increasing inclusion and parity within the tech ecosystem with the Female Founder Initiative which supports the participation of more women in the program. Between Cohort I and Cohort II, the number of female founders in the program has increased from 10% to 30%, and it is expected that soon, female founders would make up at least 50% of the Cohort.
We have also increased the female representation in the faculty of the mentors to almost 40%. All female founders who are admitted into FI are also included in the global Female Founder Initiative with its exclusive opportunities and benefits. Founder Institute’s Regional Director for Africa, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jr., spoke on this. According to him; ‘As a team, we know that female leadership improves team dynamics and we are committed to supporting more women to participate actively in the tech ecosystem. However, we are open to supporting entrepreneurs to launch or scale their companies irrespective of age, gender, background and location in order to help them become a part of the global FI movement.’
The Founder Institute operates across 200+ cities and 6 continents, with 4,000+ Graduates building some of the world’s fastest-growing startups.
