Latest news with #FuturemakersWomeninTechAccelerator
Business Recorder
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tech Accelerator: Standard Chartered Pakistan launches ‘7th Cohort of Futuremakers Women'
KARACHI: Standard Chartered Pakistan, launched the 7th Cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator in partnership with INNOVentures Global (Pvt) Limited. This accelerator was first launched in Pakistan in 2019 and was designed to address gender disparity in the technology sector. This initiative not only supports innovative business ideas but also addresses the financial barriers women often face in launching and scaling their ventures. By offering tailored mentorship and financial backing, Standard Chartered is committed to fostering an ecosystem where women can thrive as successful entrepreneurs, driving economic growth and social change in the country. Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator is an integral component of the Bank's entrepreneurship offering within Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, a global initiative to tackle inequality and promote economic inclusion. Commenting on the launch, Rehan Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Pakistan said that the launch of Cohort 7 of the Standard Chartered Women in Tech Accelerator reflects our commitment to create equitable opportunities and advance financial inclusion for women in Pakistan. He said that over the past six years; this programme has provided critical funding and focused mentorship to female led businesses. 'To date, out of the 1900+ women led startups that showed interest to apply, more than 143 women founders have graduated, and 43 have received seed funding. Standard Chartered's commitment to expanding women's access to entrepreneurial finance embodies the core of the bank's Futuremakers strategy,' he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tech Accelerator: SCP launches ‘7th Cohort of Futuremakers Women'
KARACHI: Standard Chartered Pakistan, launched the 7th Cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator in partnership with INNOVentures Global (Pvt) Limited. This accelerator was first launched in Pakistan in 2019 and was designed to address gender disparity in the technology sector. This initiative not only supports innovative business ideas but also addresses the financial barriers women often face in launching and scaling their ventures. By offering tailored mentorship and financial backing, Standard Chartered is committed to fostering an ecosystem where women can thrive as successful entrepreneurs, driving economic growth and social change in the country. Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator is an integral component of the Bank's entrepreneurship offering within Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, a global initiative to tackle inequality and promote economic inclusion. Commenting on the launch, Rehan Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Pakistan said that the launch of Cohort 7 of the Standard Chartered Women in Tech Accelerator reflects our commitment to create equitable opportunities and advance financial inclusion for women in Pakistan. He said that over the past six years; this programme has provided critical funding and focused mentorship to female led businesses. 'To date, out of the 1900+ women led startups that showed interest to apply, more than 143 women founders have graduated, and 43 have received seed funding. Standard Chartered's commitment to expanding women's access to entrepreneurial finance embodies the core of the bank's Futuremakers strategy,' he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Fintech News ME
08-05-2025
- Business
- Fintech News ME
Standard Chartered and C3 Launch Seventh Women in Tech Accelerator in UAE
Standard Chartered has launched the seventh cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech UAE Accelerator, in partnership with C3 Companies Creating Change and Village Capital. The programme forms part of the bank's global Futuremakers initiative, which supports economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people. In the UAE, the accelerator focuses on women-led technology startups, offering training, equity-free funding, and access to professional networks. C3 will lead the programme locally, drawing on its experience in supporting entrepreneurs and building startup ecosystems. Selected startups will be eligible for equity-free funding of up to AED 550,000 (approximately US$150,000) from the Standard Chartered Foundation. Across all participating countries, more than AED 2.2 million (US$600,000) in grant funding will be distributed each year. Participants will also benefit from mentorship, a tailored curriculum, and opportunities to engage with regional and global investors. Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer for the UAE, Middle East and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, said: 'The Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator reflects our commitment to advancing economic inclusion and empowering women entrepreneurs to thrive. Launching our seventh cohort in the UAE is a testament to our long-standing support for the UAE's entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to helping innovative, women-led businesses access the resources, networks, and funding they need to scale their impact.' The three-year initiative aims to address the barriers women founders face in scaling their ventures. Around 400 women entrepreneurs across the wider region are expected to benefit from investment readiness training, grant funding, and mentorship to support the long-term growth of their businesses. Kevin Holliday, Managing Director at C3, said: 'At C3, we are focused on backing purpose-driven founders with the tools and connections they need to scale. This initiative reflects the power of collaboration in creating real opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs across the UAE.' The Women in Tech initiative has supported more than 4,000 women across 17 markets globally since its launch.
Zawya
05-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Standard Chartered boosts investment in its Futuremakers Women in tech programme across Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan
Africa, Middle East, Pakistan – Standard Chartered today announced a partnership with Village Capital to continue and expand its Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator across Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan. Part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered (Futuremakers), the Bank's global youth economic empowerment initiative for disadvantaged young people, and with funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation. Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator will provide specialised training, catalytic funding, and access to a global network of peers, finance providers, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners. Over three years, 400 women entrepreneurs will receive support to build thriving microbusinesses, create jobs, and drive lasting social and environmental impact. The initiative aims to: Provide more than 32 catalytic grants totalling almost USD1.9m Enable and support over 1,200 jobs. Delivered in collaboration with local expert implementing partners, the Accelerator will be available across 12 of Standard Chartered's markets, continuing in Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia*, South Africa*, UAE, and Zambia, and expanding to two new markets – Uganda and Egypt. Tanuj Kapilashrami, Chief Strategy and Talent Officer at Standard Chartered, said: 'Empowering women is critical to economic growth, and central to our stand of lifting participation by unleashing the financial potential of women and small businesses. We believe equitable access to funding and resources is essential to fostering innovation and driving meaningful social impact – whether it be through our Futuremakers philanthropic programmes, our banking propositions such as the SC Women's International Network, or the work we do towards supporting a diverse supplier base. Through the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator, we are addressing the systemic challenges women microbusiness owners face, creating pathways for them to scale their businesses which will, in turn, help drive positive change in their communities.' Highlighting the partnership's impact, Rachel Crawford, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Village Capital, said: 'Our partnership with Standard Chartered is a gamechanger for women-led start-ups across Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan. By providing critical resources, catalytic capital, and market-level support, we aim to drive inclusive economic growth and ensure that women entrepreneurs can scale their businesses and impact communities at a transformative level.' Commenting on the impact of the programme, a Women in Tech alumna, Priscilla, CEO and Co-Founder of Rhea, a microbusiness based in Kenya, said: 'The Women in Tech programme has been a gamechanger for my company. It not only provided access to crucial capital, but also a start-up support system that is tailored for women entrepreneurs to ensure they can align their businesses for impact. I've gained the financial tools, mentorship, and network needed to scale my business with confidence.' Launching Futuremakers Women in Tech Applications for the 2025 Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator will open in late April. Participants will receive investment-readiness training, personalised development plans, and expert mentorship, working with advisors and industry leaders to strengthen their business models and access networking opportunities. More than USD600K in grant funding for entrepreneurs will be distributed annually across markets. Since launching more than a decade ago, Women in Tech has helped more than 4,000 women across 17 of Standard Chartered's markets. Today's news follows the announcement that Futuremakers Women in Tech is continuing in the US, with applications already underway. Futuremakers Women in Tech is one of several programmes that aim to tackle inequality and empower disadvantaged young people. Since launching in 2019, Futuremakers has enabled and supported more than 88,900 jobs. * Funding for Futuremakers Women in Tech in Saudi Arabia and South Africa is from Standard Chartered not Standard Chartered Foundation. For further information please contact: Wasim Ben Khadra (WBK) Global Communications Lead, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) Head of Communications, UAE, Middle East, Pakistan and Africa Standard Chartered T: +97156 508 0106 M: +9714 508 3221 Eva Waweru Village Capital
