Grey, a fintech company, has launched UpGreyed Her, an equity-free grant initiative, to advance financial inclusion for African women and celebrate Women’s History Month 2024.
The initiative kicked off on International Women’s Day and received almost 1000 applications from six African countries within two weeks.
Speaking at the grant presentation held in Lagos, Iheakachi Nwabueze, head of Global Marketing and Growth at Grey, explained that three winners emerged and that they were selected among five finalists.
Nwabueze went further to state that the winners were chosen based on their unique approaches to improving product competitiveness, developing new product concepts, demonstrating commitment to sustainability, and emphasising diversity.
In addition, she said that the campaign successfully met these objectives, and three exceptional female business owners emerged as winners.
Nwabueze also highlighted the innovative and impactful businesses spearheaded by women all around the continent.
She commended the 773 applicants who followed the process and submitted their applications.
According to her UpGreyed Her aimed to bridge the $42 billion funding gap African female entrepreneurs face.
The first-place prize winner of $4,000, Ameenah Kazeem, expressed her gratitude during her acceptance speech.
Kazeem mentioned that being an entrepreneur in her part of the world was challenging, especially for a woman trying to balance work and home life.
She however, was encouraged to have organisations like Grey that believes in female founders enough to invest in them. It has made her journey less stressful and easier to scale her business.
Additionally, she shared her aspirations for her company, OfadaHub, to become a household name in the next few years.
She also mentioned that the Grey team should be proud to have invested in her business.
Founder of AutoGirl Ltd, Chinazom Arinze, and founder of LadyBambooLtd, Zigwai Fanda, were announced as runners-up, winning $2,000 each.
Speaking about the UpGreyed Her Initiative, Nishita Devanand, a judge on the panel, shared her thoughts. Devanand, a woman and business owner, emphasised the importance of receiving encouragement and support for one’s dreams.
She commended Grey for their inclusive and forward-thinking initiative, which was highly necessary and memorable.
Devanand was pleased to have played a part in the campaign and congratulated the three winners, believing that the grant they received would help to further their success.
Blessing Abeng expressed her admiration for Grey’s efforts to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She commended the company for putting women at the forefront and lauded the winners for their achievements, stating that it would undoubtedly propel their businesses to new heights.
The UpGreyed Her Initiative partnered with Her Network, a global media platform that amplifies women’s voices and impact stories.
