Vodafone Institute Globally Launches the Next Round of F-LANE

The Accelerator for Ventures Focusing on Female Empowerment

BERLIN, November 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

• A new round of F-LANE - the first accelerator in Europe to focus on  tech-startups by or for women    
• Investments of up to EUR 4.5m for startups in the first round of F-LANE    
• Applications can be sent to http://www.f-lane.com/online-application from now until 20 December

F-LANE was initiated by the Vodafone Institute as the first accelerator in Europe focusing on tech-startups by or for women. The majority of the startups participating in the programme received investments afterwards - some as high as EUR 4.5 million. It has met with such an impressive international response that the third round has now been launched. The programme mission is to foster the participation of women in technological development and to empower women of all ages around the world through technology. F-LANE is collaborating with the Impact Hub Berlin and the Social Entrepreneurship Akademie to globally source innovative startups that focus on women, provide an enterprising solution to a social problem and have the potential to make a wide impact. The online application process for the 7-week accelerator programme starting 16 March 2018 in Berlin is now open. Applications can be submitted to http://www.f-lane.com/online-application the closing date on 20 December 2017.

Dupsy Abiola, startup founder and CEO of Intern Avenue, one of the world's most successful platforms for the placement of interns in companies, is a member of F-LANE's international Advisory Board. Thomson Reuters named her one of the UK's top businesswomen back in 2013. As a member of the F-LANE jury, Dupsy Abiola and her Advisory Board colleagues will be selecting the young entrepreneurs for the F-LANE accelerator and supporting them throughout the programme with her expertise. Dupsy Abiola: "F-LANE's been phenomenal, with inspiring ideas, fantastic entrepreneurs, international media coverage and some major investments in the startups after the first accelerator programmes. Historically, the levels of investment and support for female technology leaders has been alarmingly low. We need programmes like F-LANE to put this issue on the agenda."