CaterpillHERs
CaterpillHERs is a Karachi-based social enterprise running 14-week women-focused accelerators (Freelance, Product Management, Skills to Income, Greater Good) for entrepreneurs and professionals in Pakistan and other emerging markets, combining tuition, grant funding, and partnerships to deliver training, mentorship, and job placement.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersKarachi, Pakistan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CaterpillHERs does
CaterpillHERs is a privately held, Karachi-headquartered social enterprise founded in 2019 by Hira Saeed (CEO), with Faiza Yousuf (CPO) joining in 2021, that designs and delivers accelerator programs for women entrepreneurs and professionals in Pakistan and other emerging markets. Its portfolio comprises four 14-week blended-learning accelerators — Freelance Accelerator, Product Management Accelerator, Skills to Income Accelerator, and the free Greater Good Accelerator — organized under four thematic verticals (Entrepreneurship, Capacity Building & Careers, Economic & Financial Inclusion, and DEI & Capacity Building). Program delivery runs on a WordPress-backed learning management system at academy.caterpillhers.com, supplemented by live coaching, mentorship from Silicon Valley and local experts, and blockchain-issued certificates with lifetime academy access.
The business model blends three revenue streams: fee-based paid accelerators (Freelance Accelerator at PKR 40,000 / USD 150 and Product Management Accelerator at PKR 55,000 / USD 200 for international participants), 100% subsidized programs (Greater Good Accelerator), and grant-funded partnerships with development organizations including the U.S. Department of State, USAID, IREX, W4, S&P Global, Arbisoft, Miller Center/SCU, Upwork, Draper University, and Atlas Corps. Distribution is hybrid: a community-led GTM anchored on the WomenInTechPK Facebook community and LinkedIn/Instagram channels, paired with a product-led motion via Google Forms waitlists and self-serve academy enrollment. CaterpillHERs reports 500+ graduates across programs, 5,000+ hours of mentorship, PKR 20M+ earned by participants, and 2M+ lives impacted, with operations also supported from a secondary Austin, Texas office.
CaterpillHERs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CaterpillHERs
- Legal name
- CaterpillHERs
- Website
- https://caterpillhers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CaterpillHERs is a Karachi-based social enterprise running 14-week women-focused accelerators (Freelance, Product Management, Skills to Income, Greater Good) for entrepreneurs and professionals in Pakistan and other emerging markets, combining tuition, grant funding, and partnerships to deliver training, mentorship, and job placement.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CaterpillHERs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women's Career and Entrepreneurship Acceleration
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Skills & Tech Upskilling (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Skills & Microlearning Marketplaces (Bite-Sized Lessons) (EDAFAIAK), Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)
Keywords
Where CaterpillHERs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Karachi
- HQ country
- Pakistan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
CaterpillHERs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Program Tuition Fees: Fee-based accelerator programs with tiered pricing for Pakistan-based applicants (PKR) and international applicants (USD). Includes Freelance Accelerator (PKR 40,000/USD 150), Product Management Accelerator (PKR 55,000/USD 200).
- Subsidized/Free Programs: Greater Good Accelerator is offered free of cost (100% subsidized) for women entrepreneurs and community leaders in Pakistan.
- Grant Funding & Partnerships: Funding from international organizations (U.S. Department of State, IREX, USAID, W4) and partnerships for program delivery and social impact initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Freelance Accelerator - 14-week program for women freelancers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Product Management Accelerator - 14-week PM training program |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Greater Good Accelerator - 14-week social impact program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
CaterpillHERs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CaterpillHERs designs and delivers 14-week blended-learning accelerator programs—Freelance Accelerator, Product Management Accelerator, Skills to Income Accelerator, and Greater Good Accelerator—that train women in Pakistan and other emerging markets in freelancing, product management, digital skills, and social entrepreneurship, paired with high-touch mentorship, placement with vetted employers (e.g., Upwork), and an online CaterpillHERs Academy (academy.caterpillhers.com) that issues blockchain-verified certificates and lifetime content access.
Product overview
CaterpillHERs operates as a multi-accelerator platform offering four core programs—Freelance Accelerator, Greater Good Accelerator, Product Management Accelerator, and Skills to Income Accelerator—each running 14 weeks with blended learning curriculum. These programs are organized under four thematic verticals: Entrepreneurship, Capacity Building & Careers, Economic & Financial Inclusion, and DEI & Capacity Building. The platform also provides access to the CaterpillHers Academy learning management system and a Resource Library containing guides, templates, and impact reports. Programs target women entrepreneurs and professionals in emerging markets, with particular focus on Pakistan, offering mentorship, training, and placement opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Freelance Accelerator: A 14-week program designed to equip women with skills and confidence to succeed as freelancers, providing a pathway to financial independence.
- Greater Good Accelerator
- Product Management Accelerator
- Skills to Income Accelerator
- CaterpillHERs Academy
Products and services
- Freelance Accelerator A 14-week blended-learning accelerator program that trains women in Pakistan (and international applicants) in freelancing skills and confidence, with live coaching, mentorship, and placement opportunities via partner networks including Upwork. Priced at PKR 40,000 domestic / USD 150 international.
- Product Management Accelerator A 14-week program equipping women professionals with product management skills including market research, product strategy, agile development, and stakeholder management. Includes expert workshops, masterclasses, vetted curriculum, blockchain-issued smart certificates, and networking sessions. Priced at PKR 55,000 domestic / USD 200 international.
- Greater Good Accelerator A 14-week blended-learning program for women entrepreneurs, community influencers, and leaders in Pakistan driving social impact. Covers social innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship, with up to a $1,000 Community Impact project award per cohort. Offered 100% free of cost with Urdu-language curriculum.
- Skills to Income Accelerator A program focused on teaching women in smaller cities and climate-affected areas of Pakistan high-paying digital skills and freelancing capabilities, with career coaching, mentorship, and placement support via Arbisoft's technical expertise and hiring pipeline.
- CaterpillHERs Academy An online learning management platform hosted at academy.caterpillhers.com providing program graduates lifetime access to course content, video lessons, community resources, and blockchain-issued certificates of completion.
- Resource Library A free public hub of tools, guides, and templates including Freelance Accelerator Impact Reports, AI & Automation resources, resume checklists, Personal Branding packs, productivity workbooks, Freelancer guides, and Market Assessment reports.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ women graduated across programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CaterpillHERs
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CaterpillHERs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
CaterpillHERs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ArbisoftcorePartnership for Skills to Income Accelerator program development and delivery. Arbisoft provides technical expertise and hiring pipeline.
- UpworkcoreHistoric partnership established in 2022 enhancing Freelance Track participants' opportunities. Upwork provides placement and work opportunities for CaterpillHERs graduates.
- Miller Center for Social EntrepreneurshipcorePartnership to launch Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI) social entrepreneurship program in Pakistan, bringing immersive mentorship from Santa Clara University.
- Draper UniversitycorePartnership for entrepreneurship support among women in Pakistan. Draper University provides innovation and development expertise.
- Atlas CorpscoreCollaboration on Pakistan Emerging Leaders Initiative in 2023 for young women leaders' professional development.
- IREXcorePartnership for community solutions and training programs. IREX Program Officer Katie Shah recognized CaterpillHERs' course development expertise.
- IBA Centre for Entrepreneurial DevelopmentminorAcademic partnership with IBA Karachi for entrepreneurship development programs.
- Accountability Lab PakistanminorPartnership for accountability and governance programs in Pakistan.
- Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE)minorGlobal network of intermediaries supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries.
- Santa Clara UniversitycoreAcademic partner bringing Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI) programs to Pakistan for women-led SGBs.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CaterpillHERs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Andela: Andela is a global talent marketplace that recruits, trains, and places engineers (historically from Africa) into international tech roles. Highly comparable model: career training + employer placement pipeline targeting under-represented geographies.
- Springboard: Springboard runs online, mentor-led career accelerators (data, software engineering, UX) with a strong focus on women and career-switchers. Closest direct competitor in the women-focused tech accelerator category.
- Generation You Employed: Global non-profit running free, short, employer-aligned training programs for unemployed youth into tech and customer-service roles. Strong overlap on Skills to Income model and emerging-market placement focus.
Broad incumbents
- General Assembly: Established provider of bootcamps and short-format tech training (data, product, software engineering) with employer partnerships for hiring. Overlaps with CaterpillHERs' Product Management and Skills to Income accelerators.
- Coursera: Global MOOC platform offering credentialed courses in tech, data, and business from universities and companies. Competes for the same women-in-emerging-markets upskilling wallet but with broader portfolio and recognized credentials.
- Udacity: Online tech-skills nanodegree provider with employer-aligned programs (product management, data, AI). Competes for the same upskilling buyer and adjacent to CaterpillHERs' Product Management Accelerator.
Emerging players
- Women Who Code: Global non-profit community running workshops, study groups, and leadership programs for women in tech. Comparable community-led, mentorship-driven model targeting the same demographic.
- Black Girls Code: Non-profit providing tech education and workforce pathways to girls and women of color. Highly comparable mission (underrepresented women into STEM/careers) and accelerator-style programming.
- SheCodes: Online coding school for women offering short, cohort-based courses with mentor support. Comparable in digital-skills, women-only, paid cohort model.
- WomenLift Health: Leadership development program for women in the health sector with cohort-based accelerators and mentorship. Comparable cohort accelerator + mentorship design, though narrower sector.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CaterpillHERs social profiles
Digital presenceCaterpillHERs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CaterpillHERs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CaterpillHERs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CaterpillHERs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CaterpillHERs
What does CaterpillHERs do?
CaterpillHERs designs and delivers 14-week blended-learning accelerator programs—Freelance Accelerator, Product Management Accelerator, Skills to Income Accelerator, and Greater Good Accelerator—that train women in Pakistan and other emerging markets in freelancing, product management, digital skills, and social entrepreneurship, paired with high-touch mentorship, placement with vetted employers (e.g., Upwork), and an online CaterpillHERs Academy (academy.caterpillhers.com) that issues blockchain-verified certificates and lifetime content access.
Is CaterpillHERs a public or private company?
CaterpillHERs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CaterpillHERs founded?
CaterpillHERs was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CaterpillHERs based?
CaterpillHERs is headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, in the Asia region.
How does CaterpillHERs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Program Tuition Fees are the primary driver. The others are subsidized/Free Programs and grant Funding & Partnerships.
Who are CaterpillHERs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Andela, Springboard and Generation You Employed. Broad incumbents are General Assembly, Coursera and Udacity. Emerging players are Women Who Code, Black Girls Code, SheCodes and WomenLift Health.
Does CaterpillHERs have an API?
No public API is recorded for CaterpillHERs.
What industry is CaterpillHERs in?
CaterpillHERs's product category is Women's Career and Entrepreneurship Acceleration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAE, Digital Skills & Tech Upskilling (Noncredit), with a secondary code of EDAFAIAK, Skills & Microlearning Marketplaces (Bite-Sized Lessons). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.