What is LaunchHER?
LaunchHER is GEM Studio's flagship social impact initiative dedicated to helping women-led businesses establish a strong digital presence.
Each cohort, we select established, operating businesses and equip them with professionally designed digital platforms tailored to their needs—whether that's an e-commerce store, a service-based website, a booking platform, or an informational business hub.
Beyond creating digital platforms, LaunchHER is about accelerating growth and helping founders become more visible, credible, and accessible in an increasingly competitive digital economy.
While we welcome applications from all ambitious women-led businesses, LaunchHER Cohort Two will specifically select ten founders to ensure an exceptional, highly personalized accelerator experience.
The Cohort Two Journey
A transparent, structured timeline designed to transform your business's digital presence rapidly and professionally.
Applications Open
The portal opens for active women-led businesses to submit their applications. Our team reviews entries on a rolling basis to understand your unique operational challenges and goals.
Selection & Onboarding
The ten selected founders for Cohort Two are officially announced! Founders attend a mandatory virtual welcome session and gain exclusive access to their dedicated LaunchHER tracking portals to submit their existing brand assets.
The Build Phase
Our engineering and design sprint kicks off. We will custom-build your tailored digital platform. You can log into your portal at any time to monitor progress, review designs, and provide vital feedback.
Official Handover
Your new digital platform goes live! Final handover includes recorded training videos on how to manage your site, access to your digital certificate of completion, and integration into the LaunchHER alumni community.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must:
- Be a woman entrepreneur or co-founder.
- Currently operate an active, existing business.
- Have an established Business Name and existing Logo.
- Have products or services already available to customers.
- Be willing to actively collaborate, review work, and meet strict deadlines.
- Not already have a professionally developed platform that meets their business needs.
Deliverables
What Selected Founders Receive:
- A tailored Version 1 digital platform (informational, e-commerce, or booking website).
- One-year of domain registration under the programme's policy.
- Basic training materials on managing your new website content.
- Thirty days of post-launch technical support.
- Lifetime membership in the LaunchHER alumni community.
- Opportunities for the Volunteer Ambassador role and continued promotional visibility.
The Future
Long-Term Vision
LaunchHER began with our inaugural cohort of five incredible women-led businesses, but our ambition reaches far beyond. We envision a future where thousands of women entrepreneurs across Africa have access to the digital tools, visibility, and systemic support they need to build businesses that last.