Dubai - Sharikat Mubasher: The UAE-based Companies Creating Change (C3), an impact-driven enterprise that empowers innovators with essential knowledge and skills, and Standard Chartered launched the seventh cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech UAE Accelerator, in partnership with Village Capital.
C3 will deliver the program locally, leveraging its proven expertise in entrepreneur support and ecosystem development, a recent press release revealed.
In the UAE, the accelerator focuses on supporting women-led tech startups through tailored training, catalytic funding, and access to world-class networks
Selected startups will access up to $150,000 in equity-free funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation. Across all participating markets, more than $600,000 in catalytic grants will be distributed annually.
Founders will also benefit from a bespoke curriculum, expert mentorship, and exposure to regional and global investors.
Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer for the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan at Standard Chartered, said: “The Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator reflects our commitment to advancing economic inclusion and empowering women entrepreneurs to thrive. Launching our seventh cohort in the UAE is a testament to our long-standing support for the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to helping innovative, women-led businesses access the resources, networks, and funding they need to scale their impact.”
This three-year initiative is designed to help women entrepreneurs overcome systemic barriers they face to scale their businesses. Through the accelerator, 400 women founders across the wider region will benefit from tailored investment-readiness support, grant funding, and mentorship opportunities that will enable their ventures to grow sustainably and create long-lasting community impact.
Kevin Holliday, Managing Director of C3, affirmed the company’s commitment to fostering purpose-driven founders with the tools and connections they need to scale. “This initiative reflects the power of collaboration in creating real opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs across the UAE,” he said.
The Standard Chartered Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator builds on the successful global track record of the Women in Tech initiative, which has supported over 4,000 women across 17 markets since inception.