Standard Chartered and Strathmore Business School have joined forces to support women in tech through their Women in Tech Incubation program. They’ve handpicked 15 amazing startups led by talented women who will undergo a 12-week business incubation. Talk about giving a boost to female entrepreneurship!
And it doesn’t stop there. These women-led startups will also receive valuable mentorship from industry experts. And guess what? Standard Chartered has even sweetened the deal by offering a seed funding award of USD 10,000. Now, that’s some serious cash!
Hold your horses, though. The seed funding is like a prize at a talent show, and only seven out of the 15 startups will walk away with it. It’s like a fierce competition, but hey, that’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes.
The Standard Chartered Women in Technology Incubator Kenya is on a mission to create more diversity in the tech and entrepreneurship world. They want to open doors for women, providing them with opportunities to shine and succeed. It’s all about empowering women and nurturing their entrepreneurial and leadership skills.
This incredible program is a joint effort between Standard Chartered and Strathmore University. And this year marks the sixth cohort since they started this fantastic initiative. It’s like a well-established tradition now, supporting women in tech year after year.
The selection process was no joke. They received over 250 applications from various sectors like Agritech, Fintech, Disability Tech, Healthcare, and more. Talk about fierce competition! But in the end, they handpicked the crème de la crème, the creamiest of the cream, if you will.
Regina Mukiri, the Head of Community Impact, couldn’t help but express her admiration for these incredible women. She said, “I’m always impressed by the determination of the different women who lead the start-ups that participate in the #SCWomenInTech program. They are at the forefront of driving change within their communities.” Well said, Regina!
Now, without further ado, let’s give a big round of applause to the startups that made the cut for this year’s program. These ladies are destined for greatness, and their names deserve to be shouted from the rooftops:
- Acre Insights – Led by the incredible Catherine Njoroge
- Agritech Analytics – Led by the unstoppable Mary Anne Gichanga
- Ecorich Solutions – Led by the visionary Joyce Waithera
- Imani Health – Led by the amazing Anne Chege
- Ento Farms – Led by the trailblazing Elizabeth Ochieng
- Know Learning Limited – Led by the brilliant Emma Muriuki
- My Afya Africa – Led by the unstoppable Nancy Mwangi
- Panacare – Led by the outstanding Beverly Senda
- Saidiwa Rides – Led by the fearless Gladys Ngetich
- Sign With Us – Led by the talented Lucy Njeri Muchina
- Tynka Global – Led by the indomitable Ivy Bina
- Sol Active – Led by the fierce Farhia Farr
- Instruct Africa – Led by the visionary Victoria Wanja
- Rhea Soil Health Management – Led by the unstoppable Priscilla Wakarera
- Echtenum Minds – Led by the incredible Doreen Chemweno
By the way, did you know that Google’s Black Founders recently announced that a whopping 72% of the selected startups this year are led or co-founded by women? It just goes to show that women-owned companies are making their mark in the African startup ecosystem.