Applications Now Open For The Eighth Edition Of The Women In Tech Accelerator Program In the UAE

The Standard Chartered Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the international banking group of the same name, has opened applications for the 2026 installment of its Women in Tech Accelerator in the UAE. 

The initiative, which is in its eighth edition, is being run in partnership with global impact investing leader, Village Capital, and it has been designed to support women-led, tech-enabled startups as they prepare to scale. 

The program, which will be delivered by C3, a B Corp-certified consultancy, will run from June to October 2026, providing selected founders with investment readiness training, access to catalytic funding, and connections to global networks.  

In a statement, Rola Abu Manneh, CEO for the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, said, “The UAE’s economic agenda is centered on diversification, innovation and the continued development of a knowledge-based economy that creates sustainable opportunities. Women entrepreneurs are an important part of that progress, contributing new ideas, building scalable businesses and supporting broader economic growth. Through this program, we are expanding access to capital, networks, and expertise, enabling more women-led businesses to grow with confidence and deliver meaningful impact in the sectors shaping the UAE’s future.” 

Nakami Walunywa, Regional Director, Africa and Middle East at Village Capital, added, “In 2025, 71 women-led startups in the program across Africa, Middle East and Pakistan collectively generated over US$2 million in additional revenue. When founders have access to structured support and catalytic funding, they can unlock sustainable impact. In 2026, we are continuing to create the conditions for even more women-led startups to thrive.”  

Medea Nocentini, founder of C3, said, “We are proud to partner with Standard Chartered again on the Women in Tech UAE program. The founders we work with are not waiting for the world to make space for them; they are building it themselves. What makes this program special is the community it creates, bringing together founders who lift each other up, grow together, and carry that forward long after the program ends. At C3, supporting women entrepreneurs is not a moment, it is a commitment, and one we take seriously now more than ever.” 

Since its inception in the UAE, the Women in Tech Accelerator program has supported 61 women-led startups, with notable alumni including Biosapien, a biotech startup that raised US$7 million in pre-Series A funding, as well as Ostaz, an edtech startup that went on to be acquired by Inspired Education Group. 

This year’s edition of this global program has allocated more than US$600,000 in grant funding to entrepreneurs across 12 markets, with the UAE cohort competing for equity-free cash prizes totaling $150,000 at the accelerator’s Demo Day. Female startup founders based in the UAE are invited to apply for the Women in Tech Accelerator on this link; note that applications are open until May 15, 2026. 

Pictured in the lead image is a scene from an earlier edition of the Women in Tech Accelerator program in the UAE. Image courtesy Standard Chartered.