Standard Chartered Foundation Launches Women in Tech Accelerator in Egypt

Standard Chartered Foundation has launched the second edition of its Women in Tech Accelerator in Egypt, in partnership with entrepreneurship platform Entlaq and impact investor Village Capital. The 2026 programme will select 12 women-led technology startups for an accelerator focused on business development, mentorship, investment readiness and access to entrepreneurial networks. Three participating startups will receive equity-free grants from a combined pool of US$35,000 at the end of the programme.

Supporting Women-Led Technology Startups

The programme targets women-led, technology-enabled startups in Egypt that have already demonstrated market validation and are preparing to scale. Entlaq will deliver the local programme, providing specialised training and mentorship to help founders strengthen their businesses, improve growth strategies and prepare to engage with investors.

Standard Chartered said the initiative responds to challenges facing women entrepreneurs, particularly limited access to finance, professional networks and specialised business support. Mohamed Gad, CEO and Head of Coverage at Standard Chartered Egypt, said women-led technology businesses have an important role in Egypt’s innovation economy. He said the programme will give founders access to skills and networks that can help them strengthen their businesses and prepare for expansion.

Programme Builds on First Cohort

The second edition follows the programme’s first Egyptian cohort, which received 240 applications and supported 11 startups through more than 35 training sessions, as well as over 40 mentorship sessions and roundtables.

The 2026 programme will place greater emphasis on business development and investment readiness. It will run from September to December 2026, with participating founders progressing towards a final Demo Day. Village Capital said businesses supported through the 2025 cohort collectively reached almost 16,000 new customers, created more than 430 jobs and generated an additional US$2.7 million in revenue. Senior Programme Manager Yazmin Jumaali said Village Capital will support the new cohort through its wider network and experience helping early-stage businesses improve access to financial and social capital.

Funding Gap Remains a Challenge

Entlaq said the programme also responds to findings from its Women in Entrepreneurship Report 2025, which examined barriers facing women entrepreneurs in Egypt. The report identified an estimated US$2.2 billion funding gap for women-led startups, alongside limited access to specialised mentorship and professional networks. Entlaq Co-Founder and Programmes Director Aya Ismail said the accelerator aims to turn those findings into practical support that helps women founders build competitive, scalable and investment-ready businesses.

The Egypt programme forms part of the wider Standard Chartered Women in Tech initiative, which has supported more than 4,000 women across 17 markets since its establishment. Standard Chartered said more than US$600,000 in grant funding has been allocated to entrepreneurs across 12 markets this year.

In Egypt, three of the 12 participating startups will receive equity-free grants at the end of the accelerator. Applications are currently open to eligible women startup founders based in Egypt, with the programme scheduled to run from September through December 2026.