Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech Accelerator Returns to UAE with New Partners

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 31-03-2026

4 min

Standard Chartered relaunches Women in Tech Accelerator in the UAE for 2026.

It offers “investment readiness training”, funding and global networks for scale-ups.

Since launch, 61 startups supported, with notable raises and exits.

USD 150,000 in equity-free prizes will be awarded at Demo Day.

Applications close 15 May 2026, with organisers calling it “a step in the right direction”.

Standard Chartered Foundation is bringing back its Women in Tech Accelerator to the UAE for an eighth edition, this time in partnership with Village Capital, doubling down on support for women-led, tech-enabled startups at that tricky stage between early traction and real scale.

The 2026 cohort aims to give founders more than just a badge of participation. The programme offers investment readiness training, catalytic funding and access to international networks, the sort of connections that can open doors when cold emails simply won’t. In the UAE, delivery will be handled by C3, a B Corp-certified consultancy known for its work in entrepreneur support and ecosystem building.

Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer for UAE, Middle East and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, said the country’s broader economic agenda is focused on diversification, innovation and building a knowledge-based economy. She noted that women entrepreneurs are central to that progress, contributing fresh ideas and scalable businesses. Through the accelerator, she explained, the aim is to widen access to capital, networks and expertise so that more women-led ventures can grow confidently and create meaningful impact in sectors shaping the UAE’s future.

The numbers from previous editions give a sense of momentum. Since launching in the UAE, the programme has supported 61 women-led startups. In 2025 alone, 92 per cent of participants developed business growth plans, while 83 per cent reported improved performance. Alumni include Biosapien, which secured USD 7 million in pre-Series A funding, and Ostaz, later acquired by Inspired Education Group. Five startups from the community have also made it onto the Ministry of Economy’s UAE Future 100 list, not too shabby at all.

Village Capital’s Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East, Nakami Walunywa, pointed out that in 2025, 71 women-led startups in the programme across Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan generated more than USD 2 million in additional revenue. Access to structured support and catalytic capital, she suggested, can unlock long-term sustainable impact. The 2026 edition is designed to create the right conditions for even more founders to thrive.

Medea Nocentini, Founder of C3 and Partner at Global Ventures, highlighted what she sees as the real magic of the initiative: community. She emphasised that the founders involved are building opportunities for themselves rather than waiting for permission, and that the relationships formed during the programme often continue long after it ends. Supporting women entrepreneurs, she said, is an ongoing commitment.

Globally, the Women in Tech initiative has supported more than 4,000 women across 17 markets since its inception. This year, over USD 600,000 in grant funding has been allocated across 12 markets. In the UAE specifically, startups in the cohort will compete for equity-free cash prizes totalling USD 150,000 at Demo Day, and in a funding landscape where equity can be expensive, that kind of support is spot on.

Applications are open to women startup founders based in the UAE, with the deadline set for 15 May 2026. The accelerator will run from June to October.

From where I stand, programmes like this can sometimes feel like a bit of a faff if they are heavy on panels and light on tangible outcomes. But when you look at raises like Biosapien’s and real exits such as Ostaz’s, you can see there is substance behind the headlines. At Arageek, we often hear from early-stage founders who say access, not just to money, but to the right room, is the hardest barrier. And believe it or not, sometimes one well-placed introduction changes everything.

The UAE’s startup scene has been maturing fast, with policy backing and capital flowing more steadily into innovation-driven sectors. That said, women founders still face structural gaps in funding and representation. Initiatives like this will not fix the whole system overnight, well… I mean, that would be unrealistic. But they are definately a step in the right direction.

For founders who are ready to scale and willing to put in the graft, this could be an opportunity worth chasing. As many in our community would say, you have to be in it to win it, and sometimes, you just need that first proper push.

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