Standard Chartered, in partnership with INNOVentures Global (Pvt.) Limited, is excited to announce the top seven winners of the #SCWomenInTech Programme 2020. This is a global programme aimed at supporting gender representation within technology-based entrepreneurship.
Today’s event saw the announcement of the seven women led businesses shortlisted from over 280 applicants, each winning up to, PKR 1,500,000, in seed grants for their businesses. This year in addition to the regular five grants the programme had announced two additional grants for “COVID-19 relief-based projects”.
The seven businesses were selected from a pool of the top 23 teams that have been through the #SCWomenInTech programme incubator for three months. During this time, they were offered coaching, mentoring and business management skills to grow their businesses to the next level.
The seven winning companies for 2020 are:
Details of the seven winners
1. ConnectHear– Azima Dhanjee
2. CreditBook– Iman Jamall
3. OrbitEd—Wajiha Habib & Naveera Waheed
4. PakAgri Market—Ayesha Ahmed
5. Scaryammi—Ayesha Nasir
6. Foster Learning—Hira Javaid
7. Skin Deep International—Sadaf Mohyuddin
The winners will be supported with extended mentoring and milestone-based disbursement of the winnings for a period of 9 months.
Speaking at the event Mr. Rehan Shaikh, CEO, Standard Chartered Pakistan mentioned, “I would like to congratulate the winners of the #SCWomenInTech programme and appreciate all the participants who had applied to this programme. Irrespective of the final outcome, remember that in your own right, you are positively transforming our country’s economy and creating more job opportunities. Just like the Bank, you are striving to be a force for good, promoting sustainable economic and social development in the markets and communities where we operate.”
Standard Chartered launched Women in Tech in Pakistan in March 2019. This programme aimed to promote the economic and social development of women in Pakistan through innovation or technology led entrepreneurship.
The teams were shortlisted based on performance on the programme’s criteria as follows:
- Must be a women-led business
- At least 1/3rd of the Founders are women
- Woman Founder(s) has been around for atleast 1 year
- Must be a technology venture or a traditional business seeking to use technology to significantly grow / upscale
- Registered Company
- Between 3 months and two years at the time of application
- Significant Growth and/or Impact potential
- Must have an initial plan to scale or be technology enabled to scale by using the grant but also mentoring and other support.
- SC’s investment in the business/venture must make a material difference
