About this opportunity
Ideas about women’s health rarely fail because nobody cares. They stall because one person is holding the whole thing alone, with no business model, no validation and no one to test it with. FemNest Lab is built around that gap, and Cohort 2.0 is now open.
FemNest Lab is a venture building programme from Heels and Tech for early stage women innovators working on female and family health in Nigeria. That covers a wide field: women’s health and wellbeing, menstrual health, fertility and reproductive health, pregnancy and maternal health, menopause, breast health, hormonal health, mental health, parenting, caregiving and elder care, family budgeting and financial wellbeing, family safety, education and community support, and digital health tools including AI powered solutions, telehealth, remote care and diagnostics.
The programme runs five weeks. Four of those are virtual, built from live learning sessions with industry experts and innovators, practical assignments, office hours and expert mentorship from healthcare professionals, product leaders, investors and startup operators. There is a deliberate technology thread through it: you learn how AI, no code and other tools can improve operations, widen reach and prepare the venture to scale. It ends at the FemNest Showcase in Lagos, a demo day where you pitch to investors, ecosystem partners and potential collaborators.
You do not need to be technical. The provider is explicit that you can apply at the idea stage, while validating a concept, while building your first prototype, or while exploring how AI could accelerate what you already have, and that you do not need to know how to code. What matters is commitment to a problem you care about, whether you experienced it yourself, saw it through your work or your community, or came to it through research.
By the end of the cohort the programme expects you to hold a validated problem statement, customer research insights, a stronger and structured venture, a firmer business model, expert mentor feedback, investor ready pitch materials, technology enabled business skills, access to the FemNest alumni network and partnership opportunities. Top ventures are also eligible for milestone based funding.
One thing to know before you plan around this call: the official programme page does not publish an
Application timeline
Cohort 2.0 applications are open on the provider site, so treat the window as unpublished and check the application page directly before you submit.
What you receive
- A five week venture building incubator, with four weeks of virtual learning.
- Live virtual learning sessions led by industry experts and innovators.
- Expert mentorship from healthcare professionals, product leaders, investors and startup operators.
- Technology for business growth, covering AI, no code and other tools for operations, reach and scale.
- Venture development across business model, customer discovery, validation strategy and go to market plan.
- Practical assignments and office hours through the cohort.
- A demo day pitch to investors, ecosystem partners and potential collaborators at the FemNest Showcase in Lagos.
- Programme outcomes include a validated problem statement, customer research insights, a stronger business model, expert mentor feedback and investor ready pitch materials.
- Access to the FemNest alumni network and partnership opportunities.
- Top ventures are eligible for milestone based funding.
Who can apply
- Women with a healthcare challenge they are passionate about solving.
- Applicants should be working on a female or family health problem, whether personally experienced, observed through work or community, or understood through research and engagement.
- You can apply at the idea stage, while validating an existing concept, while building your first prototype, or while exploring how AI can accelerate your solution.
- No coding knowledge is required.
- The programme is designed for early stage women innovators developing solutions in Nigeria.
Who should not apply
- The programme is for women innovators, described by the provider as for women, by women.
- The provider publishes no fixed funding amount for Cohort 2.0, so milestone based funding should not be assumed as a guaranteed cash award.
Documents to prepare
- A completed FemNest Cohort 2 application form on the provider site.
- A clear description of the female or family health challenge you are solving and where your solution currently stands.
How to apply
- Read the programme page at https://heelsandtech.com/femnest-2-0/ and check your idea against the thematic areas, from women’s health and fertility to parenting, family financial wellbeing, safety, education and digital health.
- Open the application form at https://heelsandtech.com/femnest-2-0-application-form/.
- Describe the challenge you are solving and the stage you are at, whether an idea, a concept under validation, a first prototype, or a solution you want to accelerate with AI.
- Submit the form, and because no deadline is published, confirm the window is still open on the application page before you rely on it.
- If you are taken into the cohort, join the four weeks of virtual learning, assignments, office hours and mentorship, then pitch at the FemNest Showcase in Lagos.
Selection process
- Applications are reviewed against the programme focus: solutions that improve the lives of women and families, with Nigeria as the stated market and Africa as the wider ambition.
- Committed applicants at any stage from idea to first prototype are in scope, and technical skills are not a filter since no coding is required.
- Selected innovators join Cohort 2.0 for five weeks and finish at the demo day and showcase in Lagos.
- Top ventures from the cohort become eligible for milestone based funding.
Sources and verification
Related opportunities
- Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge 2026 to 2027: Mentorship for Young Education Innovators Aged 15 to 26 and a USD 1,000 Grant for 12 Ambassadors
The Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge invites young people aged 15 to 26 anywhere in the world to submit an innovative education project that creates real world impact in one of three themes: peace and democracy, mental health and wellbeing, or environment and climate. Sixty shortlisted projects receive online training, mentorship and masterclasses, and 12 of those are selected as ambassadors with a USD 1,000 grant each to advance their work. The call for proposals closes on 7 January 2027 at 23:59 Central European Time.
Questions applicants ask
Do I need to be able to code?
No. The programme states you do not need to know how to code, and it teaches AI and no code tools so you can use them in your venture.
Can I apply with only an idea?
Yes. The provider lists idea stage, validating a concept, building your first prototype and exploring how AI can accelerate a solution as all valid starting points.
What health areas does FemNest cover?
Women’s health and wellbeing, menstrual health, fertility and reproductive health, pregnancy and maternal health, menopause, breast and hormonal health, mental health, preventive and sexual wellness, parenting, child and adolescent development, elder care and caregiver support, family budgeting and financial wellbeing, household management, family safety and security, education and community support, plus digital health, telehealth, diagnostics and AI powered tools.
Is there a deadline?
The official programme page does not publish an application deadline. Check the application page directly before you submit, since the window is not stated.
Is funding guaranteed?
No. The programme provides milestone based venture support and states that top ventures are also eligible for milestone based funding, but no fixed amount is published for Cohort 2.0.
Where does the programme end?
In Lagos. The final demo day and showcase puts your venture in front of investors, ecosystem partners and potential collaborators.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
