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.

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[1],  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.

– ENDS –

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
wasim.benkhadra@sc.com

Eva Waweru
Village Capital
eva.waweru@vilcap.com

Notes to editors

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. Additionally, more than 36,000 users actively engage on Abaca, their web app that equips entrepreneurs, ESOs, and capital providers with tools for learning about, assessing suitability and expanding access to financial capital. Its latest feature, Capital Explorer, helps founders identify the most appropriate funding options for their businesses. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.

Standard Chartered Foundation
The Standard Chartered Foundation (SCF) is a charitable organisation that tackles inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people, particularly young women and people with disabilities. Its programmes focus on employability and entrepreneurship, helping young entrepreneurs and jobseekers access the skills, networks, opportunities, and support they need to achieve economic power and participation.

Established in 2019, SCF is a registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1184946) and is the lead delivery partner for Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, a global youth economic empowerment initiative. www.sc.com/scfoundation

[1] Funding for Futuremakers Women in Tech in Saudi Arabia and South Africa is from Standard Chartered not Standard Chartered Foundation.