MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Standard Chartered has announced its partnership with Village Capital to expand the ‘Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator‘ programme across Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan today. This initiative aims to provide women entrepreneurs with specialised training, funding opportunities, and access to a global network of business leaders, financial experts, and industry peers.
Tanuj Kapilashrami, Chief Strategy and Talent Officer at Standard Chartered emphasised the importance of empowering women to drive economic growth. “Supporting women is essential for economic progress and aligns with our commitment to increasing financial inclusion. The Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator is designed to tackle the challenges faced by women microbusiness owners, enabling them to scale their businesses and bring about positive change in their communities,” he stated.
The expansion plan includes Uganda and Egypt as new participating countries, which will raise the total markets under the programme to 12. The initiative will continue operating in Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE, and Zambia.
Delivered in collaboration with local expert partners, the initiative will offer over 32 catalytic grants, totalling nearly $1.9 million, and support the creation of more than 1,200 jobs.
The strategic enhancement of female entrepreneurship stands as key for inclusive economic growth according to Rachel Crawford who leads Village Capital as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. The initiative provides essential resources and tailored market-level assistance and catalytic funding so women entrepreneurs can develop their businesses and drive transformative change through their communities according to Rachel Crawford.
What is Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator?
One initiative that aims to address injustice and empower underprivileged youth is Futuremakers Women in Tech. Futuremakers has enabled and supported over 88,900 jobs since its launch in 2019. The program plans to help 400 women entrepreneurs during the next three years through developing sustainable businesses and delivering employment chances and enduring social and environmental improvements.
The expansion plan includes Uganda and Egypt as new participating countries, which will raise the total markets under the programme to 12. The initiative will continue operating in Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE, and Zambia.
New applications open in April
Around the end of April, the 2025 Women in Tech Accelerator program will start accepting new applications. The program will provide investment-readiness training together with personalized development plans and mentorship from experts who will enable participants to work with industry leaders for business model refinement and building networks.
Additionally, over $600,000 in grant funding will be awarded annually across various markets.
Since its inception, the Women in Tech initiative has assisted over 4,000 women across 17 markets. This latest expansion follows the announcement that Futuremakers Women in Tech will continue in the United States, where applications are already open.
The programme is part of a broader effort to address inequality and empower disadvantaged young people. Since its launch in 2019, Futuremakers has supported and facilitated the creation of over 88,900 jobs worldwide.
