WeScale
International partners coming together to support Women Entrepreneurs in South Asia. WeScale is an initiative under the USAID South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI), a part of the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP).
About the South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI)
SARDI propels digital connectivity and economic development in South Asia by strengthening the digital capacity of MSMEs, raising awareness around critical cybersecurity issues, and fostering opportunities for MSMEs and governments to engage on digital and ICT policy issues.
About WeScale
The WeScale program is part of the South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI) delivered by a network of partners from across 4 countries with a presence in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The WeScale program includes three main parts:
WeScale is a 12-week virtual program created to get female led companies ready for growth.
WeScale+ is a high-touch, intensive four-week program with a live summit that aims to distill the lessons learned through WeScale and attract investors.
A program network made up of women entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, government and other key players in the innovation ecosystem that will help WEs and build a long-lasting, reliable network of contacts for them.
USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. The purpose of foreign aid should be ending the need for its existence, and we provide development assistance to help partner countries on their own development journey to self-reliance – looking at ways to help lift lives, build communities, and establish self-sufficiency.
Learn more at usaid.gov
DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world. DAI tackles fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI work with a wide range of clients, including national and local governments, bilateral and multilateral donors, private corporations, and philanthropies.
Learn more at dai.com
Led by the Department of State and co-chaired by USAID, DCCP works with partner countries to support the development of communications infrastructure; promote transparent regulatory policies for open, competitive markets; and build partners’ cybersecurity capacity to address shared threats through engagement with the private sector, government, and civil society.
Learn more at usaid.gov
Meet the Partners
WeScale is a Digital Frontiers project by USAID’s Innovation, and Research (ITR) Hub, Technology Division (ITR/T), implemented in partnership with DAI.
Accelerating Asia is a leading startup engagement platform that connects investors, partners and clients to the best startups in Asia and beyond through acceleration, investment opportunities and engagement.
At the core of the work Accelerating Asia does is the guiding belief that entrepreneurs are humanity’s greatest catalysts for positive change.
Learn more at acceleratingasia.com
Bangladesh Angels is the country’s first angel investing platform, founded with a mission to elevate the country’s startup entrepreneurs to the highest level. To be registered as an independent, not for profit company, it is a collaborative endeavor bringing together the leaders in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and global partners – who share a passion to create value and growth for the startups.
Learn more at bdangels.com
India Accelerator is a seed-stage accelerator program that helps startups grow from GOOD to GREAT. It’s a structured program that can bring the building blocks for a startup under one roof – the much needed mentorship, the network, the technology, the peripheral services (like legal, financial etc) and last but not the least, the capital. It is the ONLY GAN partnered, mentorship-driven, program in India.
Learn more at indiaaccelerator.com
Lankan Angel Network is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and building a viable start-up ecosystem. Founded in 2012 as a private network of angel investors, backed by an investor base of 75+ rolling members with over LKR 700 million invested by angels in local start-ups and 20+ companies supported through finance and knowledge.
Learn more at lankanangelnetwork.com
SAFAL Partners is Nepal’s first operations-focused investment firm. Founded by seasoned entrepreneurs and executives, it’s been in business since 2017. It helps SMEs and start-ups with operational improvement work, and helps them get ready for angel investment. In the last five years, SAFAL has worked with 37 SMEs on operational improvement work, and helped get angel funding (both debt and equity) for four companies.
Learn more at safal-partners
Registration is now open!
Open to South Asia countries namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Submissions are open until November 8 2022.