The Programme
Structured. Intensive. Built for growth.
16 weeks of business advisory, investment readiness, and investor access, delivered in a cohort of 20–25 exceptional women-led Ethiopian SMEs.
Programme Structure
Two cohorts a year. One transformative experience.
ASAP runs two cohorts per year, each limited to 20–25 businesses to keep the experience high-touch and genuinely impactful. Intake dates are announced ahead of each cohort.
2
cohorts/year
Intake dates announced per cohort
16
weeks
4 months per acceleration cycle
20–25
SMEs per cohort
Intimate, high-touch cohort size
200–300
advisory hrs
1-on-1 sessions per cohort
Programme Phases
Four phases. Twenty weeks. Complete clarity.
From the moment you hit submit to your first post-graduation investor meeting, here is exactly what to expect.
Application
2 weeksSubmit your application online and upload supporting documents. Our case team reviews every submission for eligibility before moving shortlisted founders to the Selection phase.
Online application
8-step form covering your profile, business and eligibility, business model, team, funding, program fit, documents, and consent.
Document upload
Completed ASAP pitch deck template, legal registration certificate, and evidence of revenue generation.
Eligibility screening
Case team reviews all applications against the eligibility criteria within 2 weeks.
Shortlist announcement
Shortlisted founders are notified by email and invited to the Selection phase.
Curriculum
6 pillars. 15 modules. Click any module to explore.
Every module is designed for growth-stage founders, not generic SME theory. Real tools, real frameworks, applied to your actual business.
1-on-1 Advisory Services
One dedicated consultant. Every week. For 16 weeks.
Every ASAP founder is matched with a dedicated consultant from day one. These are not check-in calls. They are working sessions where you tackle your real challenges with someone who has navigated them before.
Across a cohort, ASAP delivers 200 to 300 total advisory hours, a scale of investment that would cost hundreds of thousands of birr in consulting fees. It's one of the most concrete advantages of being in the programme.
How matching works
The ASAP case team matches each founder with a consultant based on sector, business stage, and the specific growth challenges identified during selection. You meet your consultant in Week 1.
What you work on
Sessions are founder-led; you set the agenda. Consultants provide accountability, strategic sounding-board support, introductions, and frank feedback on your progress.
Who the consultants are
Consultants are drawn from the Ethiopian business community, regional development finance professionals, ACE Advisors' extended expert network, and ASAP's growing alumni base.
After the programme
Many consultant relationships continue informally beyond Demo Day. ASAP facilitates ongoing alumni advisory connections so the relationship compounds over time.
Networking
Three events that open real doors.
Every cohort includes three structured events, from the opening day gathering to Demo Day with live investors.
Sensitisation Workshop
Kick-off gathering bringing the full cohort together with ASAP consultants, case team, and ACE Advisors leadership. Sets expectations, builds community, and launches the programme.
Quarterly Networking Panel
EmpowerHER-affiliated panel event connecting ASAP members with senior women executives, investors, and government stakeholders from across Ethiopia and the region.
Demo Day
The cohort culmination. Each founder delivers a 10-minute pitch to an audience of investors, development partners, financial institutions, and media. The launchpad to your next round.
Investor Readiness
Demo Day is not the end. It's the beginning.
The entire 16-week programme is structured to culminate in one moment: a polished, confident pitch in front of the investors, DFIs, and development partners who are actively looking to back Ethiopian SMEs.
But ASAP doesn't stop there. Post-graduation warm introductions, alumni investor days, and our ongoing relationships with financial institutions and development finance partners mean the doors stay open.
Investor deck coaching
Dedicated sessions to build, stress-test, and refine your 10–12 slide investor deck against real investor expectations.
Financial model review
Case team analysts review your 3-year financial model for accuracy, assumptions, and investor credibility before Demo Day.
Mock pitch sessions
Practice pitches with ASAP reviewers and invited angel investors, so that Demo Day is not your first time in the room.
Demo Day & warm intros
Live audience of 50+ investors and partners. Followed by curated 1-on-1 introductions arranged by the ASAP team.
This is your programme.
Check eligibility and apply for the current cohort.