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The Hague, January 31. Today, Bayer Foundation and Get in the Ring have joined forces to launch the ‘Women Empowerment Award 2022’; a competition for Sub-Saharan African female entrepreneurs who are harvesting a healthier future for Africa. This competition is specifically for startups innovating to solve challenges in the domains of health and nutrition. Winning startups will earn a cash prize of € 25,000 and admission into Bayer Foundation’s Empowerment Program, a 24 Week Growth Accelerator that gives access to scaling networks and investment opportunities.
Many of the latest innovations in health and nutrition, contributing to better food production and quality of life in Sub-Saharan Africa, are driven by women. Female entrepreneurs are driving change and shaping the future of Africa. However, there still exists a large funding gap between female entrepreneurs and their male counterparts – this competition aims to bridge this gap by equipping the most innovative female-driven innovations with the tools needed to accelerate their solutions. The goal of this award is to identify and empower female entrepreneurs to scale their innovations and magnify their impact.
By supporting female entrepreneurs with groundbreaking ideas, Bayer Foundation specifically recognizes and celebrates their role as game changers, drivingsustainability and social impact through entrepreneurial innovation. With the Women Empowerment Award 2022, Bayer Foundation is able to catalyze social innovation for a world with health for all, hunger for none.
For the Women Empowerment Award 2022, Bayer Foundation are partnering with Get in the Ring, the world’s most global startup competition, active in over 200 cities worldwide. The global podium of Get in the Ring has given countless opportunities to unconventional solutions in all corners of the world, to prove their solutions and solve 21st century challenges. Working alongside industry leading partners, Get in the Ring supports the scale and impact that startups make across the globe.
Dr. Monika Lessl, Executive Director – Bayer Foundation, said: “With our Women Empowerment Award, we aim to help female entrepreneurs and their social enterprise to generate positive impact in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Last year we received many applications and supported five winners and contributed to their continued success. This year we are looking forward to collaborating with Get In The Ring, to deepen our connection with the startup ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa and to attract even more inspiring female entrepreneurs”
Jurgen Nieuwenhuijsen, Director – Get in the Ring, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Bayer Foundation to empower women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa. We resonate deeply with Bayer Foundation’s mission of catalyzing social impact to provide health for all and hunger for none and invite women entrepreneurs from the region to get in the ring, grab the global spotlight, scale their unconventional health and nutrition innovations and make impact in their local communities”.
With the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award as a prime incentive, game-changing female entrepreneurs are invited to step in the ring to test, prove and scale their innovations; to go beyond known and answer their calling, doing good by doing good business! The last date to apply for the Women Empowerment Award 2022 is 18 March 2022. Visit gitr.co/wea to apply and learn more.
About Unknown Group
Unknown is an early-stage venture capital and business development firm, supporting founders and industry leaders to successfully bring innovations to the market: a “Venture Engine®”. With a fresh approach delivering venture success, lining up the industry and creating a pool of solutions ready to be adopted by the market. Through Unknown Group, Get in the Ring was created as a global startup competition to find and support promising startups from all corners of the world to test and scale their solutions with governments and industry leaders.
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About Bayer Foundation
Bayer Foundation has a long history of more than 100 years, and has supported scientists, scientific education and social programs throughout this time. In 2020, we defined a clear vision for the future of the organization: Catalyzing advances in science and social innovation for a world with “Health for All and Hunger for None.” We work towards our vision by enhancing the impact of science as the basis for societal progress and by empowering social innovators and entrepreneurs as enablers of long-lasting change. Bayer Foundation is uniquely positioned at the interface between health, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and the environment and has the ability to bring the fields of science and social innovation together.
For Press Enquiries:
Rayhaan Imam
(+31) 633 477 292
Lars zur Muehlen
(+49) 214 30 81037
lars.zurmuehlen@bayer.com