Standard Chartered announces the launch of Women In Tech Cohort 5

Standard Chartered, in partnership with INNOVentures Global (Pvt.) Ltd., announces the launch of the 5th cohort of its Women in Tech (WiT) program in Pakistan.

WiT, a flagship program of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, the bank’s global initiative to address inequality and promote economic inclusion, is designed to address gender inequality in entrepreneurship. Through this program, the Bank supports women-led businesses through capacity building through business management training and mentoring delivered through its award-winning accelerator program.

In Pakistan, this initiative was launched in 2019 and has appealed to more than 1,200 women-led businesses, with 88 female founders participating in the bank’s accelerator program. After passing the accelerator program and the final pitches, 26 of these companies have also received seed capital.

Comment on this occasion Mr. Rehan Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Pakistan said,

“There is more focus on the role banks play in supporting small business growth and promoting financial inclusion and education. In line with the government agenda, WiT is Standard Chartered’s effort to scale up women-led businesses through technology. Curated with the aim of removing barriers, providing opportunities and promoting financial inclusion for women in Pakistan, this program has become a great platform for aspiring women entrepreneurs in Pakistan over the past four years. This initiative builds on Standard Chartered’s focus on increasing women’s access to finance for entrepreneurs and supporting adolescent girls and women through capacity building, and encompasses our Futuremakers community strategy to empower the next generation to learn, earn and grow.”

The Standard Chartered Women in Tech Program, in partnership with INNOVentures Global, aims to promote the economic and social development of women in Pakistan through innovation or technology-led entrepreneurship. The program aims to help identify and grow women-led businesses by bringing their unique business ideas to market while celebrating women in Pakistan.

Standard Chartered’s WiT Incubators/Accelerators were first launched in October 2014 by Standard Chartered Americas as a local community project. The program is now active in thirteen countries and as of April 2023, this program has reached more than 3200 women entrepreneurs worldwide.

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