HubPharm Wins FCMB HERccelerate Women in Tech Programme

By Adedapo Adesanya

HubPharm has emerged as the winner of First City Monument Bank (FCMB)’s HERccelerate Showcase Day held recently at Hub One, FCMB’s Innovation Hub in Yaba, Lagos.

The tech accelerator, powered by FCMB’s SheVentures and Hub One and delivered by 8thGear Hub & Venture Studios, was designed to empower women-led startups in Nigeria with the skills and resources needed to secure funding and scale.

HubPharm was the best out of 10 finalists with Midddleman, a platform simplifying payments for African e-commerce businesses sourcing from China coming second, while Onit, a productivity tool designed for African SMEs, secured third place.

The Showcase Day brought together the finalists selected from over 1,000 applications who pitched their innovative solutions to a panel of judges.

Ms Tope Kareem, the co-founder of the startup explained that HubPharm is a digital platform with a retail pharmacy chain which has delivered over 100,000 medications across 15 cities, ensuring 98 per cent on-time delivery with AI-driven logistics.

We plan to explore more options and ensure Nigerians, both at home and abroad, know the importance of prioritizing their health. This funding will enable us to keep growing and making an impact,” she noted.

Speaking on the HERccelerate initiative, Mrs Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head of SheVentures, described it as “a testament to what we can achieve when we invest in women. While this is the first pilot of its kind, it is clear that women in tech have the talent, resilience, and vision to drive innovation.”

She also highlighted SheVentures’ broader impact, noting that over the past five years, they have “scaled businesses through four key pillars: access to finance, knowledge, markets, and networks. Our Zero Interest Loan program has provided over N800 million in funding to women entrepreneurs so far, an unprecedented achievement in the industry.”

The top 10 finalists will get free access to Hub One’s coworking space for a year, valued at over N5 million and will also be supported to scale their businesses.

FCMB’s HERccelerate programme is setting a new standard for supporting women in tech, with plans to accelerate over 200 startups in the next five years. By fostering innovation and inclusion, FCMB is shaping a brighter future for women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.