United Arab Emirates – Standard Chartered Foundation, in partnership with Village Capital, announced today the launch of the eighth edition of the Women in Tech Accelerator in the UAE, continuing its support for women-led, tech-enabled startups at a critical stage of growth.

The 2026 cohort will equip founders with investment readiness training, catalytic funding, and access to global networks, enabling them to strengthen their businesses and scale. In the UAE, the accelerator will be delivered by C3, a B Corp™ certified consultancy, leveraging its proven expertise in entrepreneur support and ecosystem development.

Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer, UAE, Middle East and Pakistan, Standard Chartered, said: “The UAE’s economic agenda is centred on diversification, innovation and the continued development of a knowledge-based economy that creates sustainable opportunity. Women entrepreneurs are an important part of that progress, contributing new ideas, building scalable businesses and supporting broader economic growth. Through this programme, we are expanding access to capital, networks and expertise, enabling more women-led businesses to grow with confidence and deliver meaningful impact in the sectors shaping the UAE’s future.”

Since its launch in the UAE, the programme has supported 61 women-led startups. In 2025, 92 per cent of participants developed business growth plans and 83 per cent reported improved performance. Alumni include Biosapien, which raised USD 7 million in pre-Series A funding, and Ostaz, which was acquired by Inspired Education Group. Five startups have also been recognised on the UAE Future 100 list by the Ministry of Economy.

Nakami Walunywa, Regional Director, Africa and Middle East at Village Capital said:

“In 2025, 71 women-led startups in the programme across Africa, Middle East and Pakistan collectively generated over USD 2 million in additional revenue. When founders have access to structured support and catalytic funding, they can unlock sustainable impact. In 2026, we are continuing to create the conditions for even more women-led startups to thrive.”

Medea Nocentini, Founder of C3 and Partner at Global Ventures added:

“We are proud to partner with Standard Chartered again on the Women in Tech UAE programme. The founders we work with are not waiting for the world to make space for them; they are building it themselves. What makes this programme special is the community it creates, bringing together founders who lift each other up, grow together, and carry that forward long after the programme ends. At C3, supporting women entrepreneurs is not a moment, it is a commitment, and one we take seriously now more than ever.”

The Standard Chartered Women in Tech Accelerator builds on the strong global track record, which has supported over 4,000 women across 17 markets since inception. This year, the program has allocated more than USD 600,000 in grant funding to entrepreneurs across 12 markets,  with the UAE cohort competing for equity-free cash prizes totalling USD 150,000 at Demo Day.

Women-startup founders based in the UAE are invited to apply, with applications closing on 15 May 2026. Successful applicants will participate in the Accelerator between June and October this year. Full details and availability criteria are available at: www.sc.com/ae/sustainability/women-in-tech/

<ends>

Further information

Media contact

Bridges Communications

Victoria Geoghegan

+44 7551 747 377


Notes to Editors

About Standard Chartered        

We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 54 of the world’s most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges. For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

About Standard Chartered Foundation   

The Standard Chartered Foundation is a charitable organisation established by Standard Chartered in 2019. It is committed to helping tackle inequality by empowering under-served young people, especially women and people with disabilities. It sets the strategy for - and funds - youth employability and entrepreneurship programmes across Standard Chartered’s markets, helping young people access the skills, networks and support they need to secure decent work and grow their businesses. The Standard Chartered Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1184946). See the website for more information: Standard Chartered Foundation.

About Village Capital

Village Capital is a global leader in impact investing, helping early-stage startups access the type of social and financial capital they need to grow – reshaping the supply and demand sides of capital flows as a result.

Since 2009, Village Capital has directly supported more than 2,100 impact startups in 70 countries. Together, these founders have raised over $9.6B across economic mobility, environmental sustainability, and access to essential services. It has made 116 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 91 peer-selected companies. Additionally, 26,000 entrepreneurs have used its Abaca web app to take at least one assessment, helping them expand their access to financial capital.

Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.

About C3

At C3, a B Corp™- certified organization, we help good business get great at solving the world’s most pressing issues. We are dedicated to empowering innovators with the essential knowledge and skills to unlock sustainable growth through our initiatives, tailored towards startups, youth, and broader efforts to build the impact ecosystem.

With the collective support of our network of over 7,000 experts, trainers, and 1,000+ investors, we have fostered a community of 2,500+ change-makers. In collaboration with renowned global companies such as HSBC, Accenture, Standard Chartered, Google, DMCC, Engie, and Multichoice, we have developed cutting-edge programmes designed to support innovators, startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, and students worldwide. We have successfully accelerated 400+ cross-sector impact-driven startups from 27 countries, collectively raising more than $1 billion to date.

Our dedication to impact and fostering meaningful partnerships has made a significant difference globally. We achieved our B Corp™ certification in 2024, joining a global community of businesses committed to the highest standards of social and environmental impact. In the same year, C3 became a People + Planet First verified social enterprise.

We are also recognized as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Pioneer for our contribution to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Our commitment to sustainability has been further celebrated with multiple gold awards at the Gulf Sustainability Awards, where we were honored as the overall winner in 2022.

To learn more, visit: wegrowwithc3.co