Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech Accelerator Program, in partnership with DIFC Innovation Hub, has awarded a total of USD 100,000 in equity-free seed capital to the top three female-led tech startups in the UAE. The program, now in its fifth cohort, aims to drive sustainable growth and empower women entrepreneurs in the UAE’s technology sector.
The first-place winner, Nour Taher, Co-founder and CEO at Intella, received USD 50,000 for her company’s work in bridging the gap between global AI advancements and the Arabic speaking world. Intella specializes in building and fine-tuning machine learning models for dialectal Arabic. The second-place winner, Lara Hussein, Co-founder and CEO at The Waste Lab, secured USD 30,000 for their nature-based composting solutions. And the third-place winner, Dr. Anushka Patchava, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Wellx, was awarded USD 20,000 for their hyper personalized digital insurance solution combining health, wellness, and prevention.
Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered UAE, emphasized their belief in a diverse and inclusive economy and their commitment to championing the innovative spirit of women. The Women in Tech program aims to increase women’s participation in the tech sector and lay the foundation for a future where women play a pivotal role in shaping the technological landscape.
Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Innovation Hub, congratulated the winners and all participants, highlighting the program’s alignment with DIFC’s mission to drive economic growth through innovation and talent development.
The Women in Tech accelerator program, launched in July, provides support, mentorship, and access to seed capital for women-led start-ups. During the program’s Demo Day, 11 female-led entrepreneurial teams showcased their innovative business models to potential investors and industry experts. The fifth cohort included various start-ups such as Tekeya, Savii, Sav, and Play:Date.
Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech program is part of a global initiative operating successfully in nine countries. In the UAE alone, the program has accelerated four cohorts, with over 20 start-ups collectively raising over USD 5 million from venture capitalists. This initiative creates a powerful global network of empowered women in the tech space.
Overall, the Women in Tech accelerator program continues to foster innovation, diversity, and economic development in the UAE’s technology sector, empowering female entrepreneurs to confront challenges and expand their impact-driven businesses.
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