C a l i f o r n i a , U S A -
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Apple’s new program aims to help women-led businesses leverage technology to make a meaningful impact for their customers. |
Cupertino, California — Apple recently announced the launch of the all-new Entrepreneur Camp, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to create new opportunities for app-driven businesses owned or led by women through an intensive technology lab, specialised support and ongoing mentoring.
To be eligible for the program, applying app-driven businesses must be female-founded, co-founded or led and have at least one woman on the development team — as well as a working app or prototype and desire to leverage Apple technologies to benefit their mission. The program’s pilot session, beginning in January 2019, is now accepting applications.
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As part of the program, cohorts will travel to Apple’s campus in Cupertino for two weeks of hands-on training and programming. |
“This is a program that matters,” said Gina Bianchini, investor and founder and CEO of Mighty Networks. “The new Entrepreneur Camp says Apple wants to invest its expertise in a different, richer, more diverse range of app developers and product experts in a meaningful way, and that is a big deal for the industry.”
Entrepreneur Camp will hold sessions on a quarterly basis, with a cohort of 20 app companies accepted for each round. The pilot session will include 10 companies.
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Apple Entrepreneur Camp sessions will be held once a quarter, with each cohort comprising participants from 20 companies. |
Female entrepreneurs continue to face challenges obtaining funding, training and support in the VC landscape — receiving US$1.9 billion in funding in 2017 compared to US$83.1 billion for men. Despite such obstacles, women-owned businesses are growing more than two times faster than the US national average, with women-led tech startups delivering a 35 per cent higher return on investment than tech startups led by men.
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