Standard Chartered boosts investment in its Futuremakers Women in Tech programme across Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan
Three-year initiative will equip women-led start-ups with essential skills, financing, and networks to drive long-term impact.
KAMPALA, March 6, 2025 – Standard Chartered has 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, and 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, UAE, and Zambia, and expanding to two new markets – Uganda and Egypt, although the Tech Accelerator in Saudi Arabia and South Africa is funded by Standard Chartered.
Tanuj Kapilashrami, Chief Strategy and Talent Officer at Standard Chartered [SC], 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.”
She said through the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator, SC is 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.
Commenting on the expansion of the Women in Tech programme in Uganda, Sanjay Rughani the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, said: ‘‘At Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, we are committed to making bold contributions towards Uganda’s 10X growth strategy, particularly its fourth pillar that focuses on enhancing human capital development. Investing in women is not just about inclusion; it is about unlocking economic potential and driving sustainable progress.”
He added, ”We are therefore excited about the rollout of the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator programme in Uganda. This announcement comes at a pivotal moment as we celebrate the International Women’s Day and reaffirms our commitment to creating a more equitable future where women have the skills, opportunities and support to lead, innovate and transform 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 USD 600,000 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.
About Village Capital
Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage startups to maximise business and impact growth.
Since 2009, Village Capital has supported close to 1,800 startups that have raised over USD 5 billion in investment capital. It has made more than 150 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 110 peer-selected companies.
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