Cairo, Egypt: Standard Chartered, AUC Venture Lab and Village Capital, are proud to announce the first cohort participants and the commencement of the Futuremakers Women in Tech (WIT) programme in Egypt. Part of Standard Chartered’s global Futuremakers initiative, funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, this marks the first time the programme is being held in Egypt.

The three-month global accelerator programme is designed for visionary women entrepreneurs leading tech-based or tech-enabled startups. With the first cohort now underway, it underscores a strong commitment to advancing gender diversity and fostering an inclusive ecosystem within the country’s technology industry.

Following an over three-month competitive application and multiple evaluation and screening processes, 11 women-led Egyptian startups were selected out of 240 applications to join the first cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech programme in Egypt. These startups will participate in a series of masterclasses, hands-on mentorship sessions, inspiring talks and tailored investment readiness support. Throughout the programme, participants will gain access to a world-class acceleration experience designed to strengthen their business resilience and growth potential. At the conclusion of the programme, they will have the opportunity to compete for up to USD 10,000 in equity-free funding, enabling them to scale sustainably and create lasting impact within their communities.

Mohammed Gad, CEO, Standard Chartered, Egypt, said: “The launch of the Futuremakers Woman in Tech programme in Egypt marks a strategic milestone in Standard Chartered’s commitment to driving inclusive economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship. By supporting 11 high-potential, women-led startups, we are not only investing in individual funds, but we are also fostering a more diverse, tech-driven startup ecosystem. This programme is part of our broader strategy to empower the next generation of changemakers across our markets, bridge the gender gap in technology and unlock opportunities for sustainable, long-term impact. We are proud to play a role in contributing to a future where innovation is truly inclusive”.

“Since 2013, AUC Venture Lab has been committed to championing Egyptian entrepreneurs. It is truly exciting to see the first cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech Programme kick off, with women founders bringing forward innovative ideas and tackling unique industries. This accelerator will give them the mentorship, resources, and investment support they need to grow their ventures and make a meaningful impact,” added Ayman Ismail, Founding Director at AUC Venture Lab and Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at Onsi Sawiris School of Business, The American University in Cairo (TBC).

The accelerator is open to women-led early-stage startups in Egypt with a minimum viable product or proven business validation, at least one woman founder aged 18–35, and alignment with one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Following a highly competitive screening and evaluation process, eleven founders were selected by an esteemed judging committee, composed of leading experts and practitioners in entrepreneurship, strategy, sustainability, and innovation. The committee included Yasmeen Adel, Chief Information Security Officer, and Nada Abdulla, Community Engagement Manager, both representing Standard Chartered; Jesse Karuga, Investment Analyst at Village Capital; Professor Ayman Ismail, Associate Professor Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship and Founding Director, AUC Venture Lab; Dr. Moataz Darwish, Associate Professor of Practice in Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship both representing Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo; Mohamed Younis, Founder and Vice President of CATS and Coaching Consultant for Startups; and senior members of AUC Venture Lab at AUC Onsi Sawiris School of Business, including Lina Zallat, Director; Ghada Hafez, Associate Director; Seif Hakim, Accelerator Manager; among others.

From over 240 applications, 63 startups advanced to the interview stage. After several rigorous screenings and evaluations, 25 startups joined a bootcamp and 20 final screening, representing 13 diverse sectors. Ultimately, 11 promising startups were selected to join the first WIT Egypt cohort.

The selected startups represent six diverse sectors, showcasing the breadth of innovation across Egypt’s entrepreneurial landscape. From healthcare to e-commerce, edtech, and clean energy, the cohort includes: Smart Content (EdTech), Smart Solar (Solar Panel Technology), Aziza (Healthcare), Learning Rockets (EdTech), Leona Pet Plan (Pet Insurance), Encore Plus (E-Commerce), Green Flames (Manufacturing Solutions), Tribe (EdTech), Tutoruu (EdTech), Trace (EdTech), and The Copywriter (Edtech).

While this is the first cohort in Egypt, Futuremakers by Standard Chartered has been longstanding in other markets, including Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE, Uganda and Zambia. To date, the initiative has supported 4,000 women founders across 17 markets.

For further information please contact:

Wasim Ben Khadra (WBK)
Cluster Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing (CABM).
Head of Communications, UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan.

Standard Chartered
Email: Wasim.benkhadra@sc.com
Address: Dubai International Financial Centre
7th floor, Building One, Gate Precinct
PO Box 999, Dubai, UAE
www.sc.com

About Standard Chartered Foundation        

The Standard Chartered Foundation (SCF) is a charitable organization 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

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 The American University in Cairo and AUC Venture Lab

Founded in 1919, The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a leading English-language, American- accredited institution of higher education and center of the intellectual, social, and cultural life of the Arab world. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions and study abroad programs.

The University offers 39 undergraduate, 52 master’s and two PhD programs rooted in a liberal arts education that encourages students to think critically and find creative solutions to conflicts and challenges facing both the region and the world.

An independent, nonprofit, politically non-partisan, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.

AUC Venture Lab (V-Lab) is Egypt’s first university-based accelerator and a holder of 10 international awards as the top accelerator in the Middle East and Africa. With a mission to help entrepreneurs launch, grow and scale their innovative startups and provide a learning and research platform for the AUC community to engage with entrepreneurs, V-Lab has supported thousands of founders to turn their business solutions into viable, scalable and investment-ready tech startups.

Since 2013, V-Lab has graduated 300+ startups from its flagship accelerators,  creating  12K+ job opportunities and raising over 5 billion EGP in funding . V-Lab’s portfolio includes: Swvl (the first Egyptian unicorn to list on Nasdaq - tech and mobility), Koinz (F&B), ElGameya (fintech), Rology (health-tech), Dentacarts (e-commerce), Klickit (payments) and Orcas (education).

Learn more at https://business.aucegypt.edu/research/centers/vlab

About Village Capital

Village Capital (VilCap) 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 environmental, social, and economic challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth.

Village Capital has operated in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) since 2018, running over 11 accelerator programs. VilCap has supported more than 120 locally-based startups working in sectors such as data tech, financial health, green tech, and health equity. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.