Standard Chartered unveils 20 women-led tech startups for 2026 Women in Tech Uganda Accelerator

KAMPALA, August 22, 2026: — Standard Chartered Uganda, in partnership with Innovation Village, Village Capital and Future Lab, has unveiled 20 women-led, tech-enabled startups selected for Cohort 2 of the Women in Tech Uganda Accelerator Programme, an initiative aimed at advancing inclusive innovation, women’s economic participation and Uganda’s digital transformation agenda.

The 2026 cohort brings together founders developing practical solutions across agricultural technology, education technology, health technology, renewable energy, accessibility technology and financial inclusion. Their ventures demonstrate how women entrepreneurs are harnessing technology to address social, economic and environmental challenges in Uganda.

The cohort was unveiled during the Cohort 2 “Meet the Leadership” session at Standard Chartered’s head office in Kampala. The event brought together the founders, programme partners, mentors, coaches, ecosystem players and Cohort 1 alumni as participants prepared to begin the accelerator journey.

The accelerator goes beyond training, combining structured business support, mentorship, market access, investment readiness and catalytic funding to help women-led startups build resilient, revenue-generating enterprises.

Over the coming months, the founders will receive support in business model refinement, digital adoption, market validation, financial management, leadership development and investor readiness. Top-performing startups will compete for catalytic grant funding from a US$50,000 pool to strengthen their operations, unlock growth and scale measurable impact.

The programme is part of the Standard Chartered Foundation’s global youth economic empowerment initiative, which focuses on employability, entrepreneurship, decent work and microbusiness growth.

Globally, the Women in Tech programme supports women founders with capital, networks and tailored business support. In 2026, more than US$ 600,000 in grant funding is being deployed across 12 markets, including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, reinforcing the programme’s international scale and local relevance.

Speaking at the unveiling, Margaret Kigozi, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, said the programme was aligned with Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Agenda, particularly its focus on science, technology and innovation as drivers of productivity, enterprise growth and inclusive economic transformation.

“We are pleased to once again extend this opportunity to women in technology entrepreneurs. This programme is strongly aligned to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Agenda, particularly its focus on Science, Technology and Innovation as a driver of productivity, enterprise growth and inclusive economic transformation.

“As a Bank, we have consistently supported initiatives that equip young people, entrepreneurs and communities with the skills, networks and opportunities they need to participate meaningfully in the economy. Through Women in Tech, we are building on that work by supporting women founders with mentorship, business development support, market access and catalytic funding.”

She added: “The first cohort showed us what is possible when women-led businesses receive the right support. They strengthened their enterprises, built confidence, expanded their networks and developed solutions responding to real societal needs.

“As we welcome Cohort 2, our ambition is to deepen that impact and help more women-led, tech-enabled businesses grow, create jobs and contribute to Uganda’s transformation agenda. We are grateful to The Innovation Village, Village Capital and Future Lab for partnering with us to make this possible.”

Arthur Mukembo, Chief Executive Officer of Future Lab, said the programme would provide women founders with the support they need to develop their ventures.

“This accelerator programme gives women founders the structured support, market linkages, mentorship and catalytic capital needed to turn promising ventures into scalable and investable businesses.”

The session featured a founder story from Cohort 1 alumna Keroy King of Sunshine Financial Services, introductions to the 2026 cohort and an “Ask Us Anything” panel involving bank leadership, programme partners, coaches and ecosystem players.

Women in Tech Uganda seeks to address systemic barriers that limit the growth of women-led enterprises, including restricted access to finance, mentorship, business support, networks and markets. These barriers affect not only business growth but also household incomes, job creation, productivity and participation in the digital economy.

As Cohort 2 begins its accelerator journey, the 20 founders join a growing community of mentors, investors, alumni, coaches, ecosystem partners and peers, strengthening the pipeline of women-led, tech-driven businesses contributing to Uganda’s economic transformation.

https://thecooperator.news/standard-chartered-marks-114-years-of-presence-in-uganda/

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