Hyderabad: WE HUB selects 89 start-ups for 2nd cohort of 'Her&Now'

Hyderabad: WE HUB has partnered with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) to provide mentoring support and training assistance to women entrepreneurs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions of Telangana.

The selected start-ups will receive incubation and acceleration training, access to mentorship, strategies to increase market and financial linkages, along with other benefits.

WE HUB is India's first state-led incubator to foster and promote women entrepreneurship to start up, scale up and accelerate with global market access. It has announced the selection of 89 start-ups out of a total of 600 applications for the second cohort of the 'Her&Now' programme.

The first cohort of 30 start-ups from Telangana graduated in August by formally registering their enterprises and raising finances through credit linkages and equity investments.

The jury panel consisted of leaders like Priyanka Chekka, CEO ZP, Khammam, Vijay Nadiminti, COO- aIDEA NAARM, Ramjee Pallela, COO of Atal Incubation center-CCMB, Dr. Radhika Meenakshi, Founder of Wise OWL Consulting. Some of the startups shortlisted are Envi Robotics, Nuture Fields, Ladoo Box, Venica Herbals, ASARA Products, Verma Foods, Lesperanzau, SR Silks etc.

Jayesh Ranjan, the Principal Secretary (ITE &C), said, "I was delighted to witness women entrepreneurs grow from ideation stage to MPP stage. Coming to the 2nd cohort we are happy to witness an escalated participation of women entrepreneurs from 28 to 89 into our innovation ecosystem. With WE Hub, we look forward to foster & supporting many more entrepreneurs in the future.''

Deepthi Ravula, the CEO of WE HUB, said their partnership with GIZ would enable them to invest in entrepreneurship in tier 2 and tier 3 cities where innovation is booming. "We are looking forward to helping these select enterprises thrive," she said. Julia Karst, Head of Project Her&Now at GIZ, said it is a tailor-made programme for seven months to help women entrepreneurs who have been running an informal enterprise or are a part of a group enterprise and now want to start up on their own and establish their enterprises.