Standard Chartered Bank (SCBPL), in partnership with INNOVentures Global (Private) Limited, announced the winners of #SCWomenInTech Cohort 5, 2023. The WomeninTech program is designed to foster gender representation within technology-based entrepreneurship, with a special emphasis on promoting financial inclusion.
Launched in Pakistan during 2019, the WomenInTech programme aims to support gender representation within technology-based entrepreneurship. During the selection phase of this programme in 2023 a Cohort of twenty-five start-ups was selected, representing businesses in fourteen different business verticals.
The participants got the opportunity to go through an extensive capacity-building programme complemented by a seed grant for the winners. Over the years, WomenInTech programme has awarded approximately PKR 30 million as grant money.
Besides these declared grants awarded between the years 2019 to 2022, more than two start-ups have undisclosed investments raised through one successful acquisition exit.
As the ‘Application Phase’ of the WomenInTech 2023 was completed recently, there was a significant increase in the number of women founders showing interest, as more than 1700 applications for participation were received from more than 100 cities and towns.
Almost 300 applications were selected for pitching before a screening jury.
Finally, 50 applicants from 13 cities were invited to pitch, based on their eligibility criteria and the uniqueness of their start-ups.
