Africa, ME, Pakistan: Standard Chartered to boost investment in ‘Futuremakers Women in Tech’ programme

KARACHI: Standard Chartered has announced to boost investment in its Futuremakers Women in Tech programme across Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan.

Over three years, 400 women entrepreneurs will receive support to build thriving microbusinesses, create jobs, and drive lasting social and environmental impact. The initiative aims to provide more than 32 catalytic grants totalling almost $1.9 million and enable and support over 1,200 jobs.

Standard Chartered is also partnered with Village Capital to continue and expand its Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator across Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan.

Part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered (Futuremakers), the Bank’s global youth economic empowerment initiative for disadvantaged young people, and with funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation, Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator will provide specialised training, catalytic funding, and access to a global network of peers, finance providers, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners.

Applications for the 2025 Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator will open in late April. Participants will receive investment-readiness training, personalised development plans, and expert mentorship, working with advisors and industry leaders to strengthen their business models and access networking opportunities. More than USD600K in grant funding for entrepreneurs will be distributed annually across markets.

Delivered in collaboration with local expert implementing partners, the Accelerator will be available across 12 of Standard Chartered’s markets, continuing in Bahrain, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa*, UAE, and Zambia, and expanding to two new markets-Uganda and Egypt.

On this development, Tanuj Kapilashrami, Chief Strategy and Talent Officer at Standard Chartered has said that 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 to fostering innovation and driving meaningful social impact – whether it be through our Futuremakers philanthropic programmes, our banking propositions such as the SC Women’s International Network, or the work we do towards supporting a diverse supplier base”, she added.

Since launching more than a decade ago, Women in Tech has helped more than 4,000 women across 17 of Standard Chartered’s markets. Futuremakers Women in Tech is one of several programmes that aim to tackle inequality and empower disadvantaged young people. Since launching in 2019, Futuremakers has enabled and supported more than 88,900 jobs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025