Aurora Tech Award, a global award dedicated to backing outstanding female tech founders from emerging markets, has unveiled its Top 30 finalists for 2026.

A statement by the organisers noted that the Top 30 semifinalists were selected following rigorous evaluation of the Top 100 that emerged from 3,400 applications submitted from 127 countries, reflecting the rapid growth of female entrepreneurship across emerging economies.

The 30 women-led startups selected are drawn from different regions across the globe, with Latin America (46.7 per cent) leading the distribution, while EMEA, APAC, CIS, and others account for 23.3 per cent, 6.7 per cent, 10 per cent, and 13.3per cent, respectively.

While Latin America comprises countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Panama, the Middle East & Africa comprises Nigeria, Kenya, Tunisia, South Africa, and Egypt. Asia and the Pacific, and CIS comprise only India and Kazakhstan. In contrast, others include North America and Europe, including Ukraine.

The Top 30 reflects a strong balance between early-stage founders, with 16 startups at the pre-seed stage and 14 at the seed stage.

Each year, thousands of companies are assessed through a multi-layered process that combines independent investor evaluation with Aurora’s own execution benchmarks.