Standard Chartered expands women in tech accelerator prog across Africa

Standard Chartered has announced its partnership with Village Capital to expand the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator across Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan.

The initiative, which is part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, a global youth economic empowerment program, aims to support women entrepreneurs through specialised training, funding, and access to industry networks.

Funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, the accelerator will provide catalytic funding, mentorship and business development resources to 400 women entrepreneurs in the next three years.

It is also expected to generate more than 1,200 jobs and distribute over $1.9 million in grants to help micro businesses scale and drive social and environmental impact.

The initiative which is expected to be delivered by local expert partners in each region will operate in 12 markets, including Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE and Zambia, with expansions into Uganda and Egypt.

The Chief Strategy and Talent Officer at Standard Chartered, Tanuj Kapilashrami, emphasised the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs.

He stated: “Empowering women is critical to economic growth and central to our stand of lifting participation by unleashing the financial potential of women and small businesses. We believe equitable access to funding and resources is essential for fostering innovation and driving social impact.

“Through the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator, we are addressing systemic challenges faced by women micro business owners, creating pathways for them to scale their businesses and drive positive change in their communities.”

Speaking on the impact of the programme in Nigeria, the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited, Dalu Ajene, highlighted its role in boosting female participation in the tech sector.

Ajene noted that since its launch in Nigeria in 2019, the initiative has helped improve gender diversity in the country’s technological space, adding that the promotion of greater economic inclusion can help tackle inequality in the market.

“The Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator initiative will provide access to industry expertise, resources, mentorship and seed-financing to support the next generation of female entrepreneurs in tech to learn, earn, grow and become agents of sustainable impact in the country,” Ajene said.

While noting the broader impact of the partnership, the Chief Strategy and Innovation officer at Village Capital, Rachel Crawford, said the partnership would be a game changer for women-led start-ups across Africa.

Crawford added that the partnership aims to drive inclusive economic growth and help women entrepreneurs scale their businesses at a transformative level by providing critical resources, catalytic capital, and market-level support.

Applications for the 2025 Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator are projected to open in late April, offering participants investment-readiness training, personalised development plans and expert mentorship.