A bootcamp for female founders that generated buzz for the fundraising prowess of its first cohort in 2020 has attracted twice as many applicants for its second edition, organizers said Wednesday.
More than 125 companies from across Canada are vying for 10 spots in Sheboot, a program hosted by the Capital Angel Network and Invest Ottawa, up from 54 a year ago. The intensive six-week program aims to arm women-led tech companies with fundamental business and investment skills and increase funding for female founders.
The program will culminate in a pitchfest with a minimum of $100,000 in investment on the table from local women angel investors as well as $100,000 in funding from FedDev Ontario, with $10,000 allocated to each participant.
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With global VC funding to women-led companies falling during the pandemic, new fundraising avenues for female founders are more important than ever, says the co-founder of an Ottawa program aimed at addressing the financing gap.
Jennifer Francis is one of the driving forces behind SheBoot, a month-long bootcamp backed by Invest Ottawa and the Capital Angel Network that provides funding and mentorship to 10 local women entrepreneurs.
Earlier this week, SheBoot announced it has begun accepting applications for its second cohort that will run later this year. The program will culminate in a pitchfest with a minimum of $100,000 in investment on the table from local women angel investors as well as $100,000 in funding from FedDev Ontario, with $10,000 allocated to each participant.