Standard Chartered Foundation, in partnership with INNOVentures Global and Village Capital, has concluded the eighth cohort of the Women in Tech Accelerator for Pakistan, awarding a combined PKR 10.5 million in equity-free grants to three women-led startups. The grants were announced at a graduation ceremony held in Karachi, marking the completion of the latest programme cohort focused on supporting women entrepreneurs developing technology-enabled businesses and strengthening their capacity to grow within Pakistan’s startup ecosystem.
EV Square, founded by Aimen Shafique, received the first prize of Rs5 million, while Blusha App, founded by Minahil Zafar, secured the second prize of Rs3 million. Zvolta, founded by Anusha Shahid, received the third prize of Rs2.5 million. In addition to the grant funding, the three winning startups will receive a further six months of hand-holding and financial oversight, along with lifelong membership of the Women in Tech Alumni Network.
The accelerator programme began with 30 founders participating in an intensive six-day bootcamp. Following the initial stage, 10 women entrepreneurs received three months of tailored investment-readiness support, expert mentorship and business development assistance. The programme focused on areas including business model development, competitive advantage, scalability and funding strategies, while also providing a two-stage funding intervention for high-potential startups within the cohort.
The programme is designed to provide entrepreneurs with support extending beyond direct financial assistance. Participants receive opportunities to strengthen their business models, improve their understanding of investment requirements and develop strategies for sustainable expansion. Expert mentorship and industry connections are also part of the programme, giving participating founders access to guidance as they work to develop and scale their technology-enabled businesses.
British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi Alison Blackburne said Pakistan’s women entrepreneurs are developing businesses that create employment opportunities and address needs in their communities. She congratulated this year’s winners and acknowledged the role of Standard Chartered Foundation and its partners in providing women entrepreneurs with funding, skills and professional networks to support the growth of their businesses.
Adil Salahuddin, CEO and Head of Coverage at Standard Chartered Pakistan, said the participating founders had demonstrated commitment to developing solutions intended to create meaningful impact. He said the Women in Tech Accelerator was designed to help entrepreneurs strengthen their business models and accelerate their growth through mentorship, business advisory support, industry connections and capacity-building opportunities.
Salahuddin added that Standard Chartered Pakistan was proud to have supported the participating founders as they work to scale their ventures, create employment opportunities and contribute to the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He also wished the founders continued success as they take their businesses into their next stage of development.
The graduating founders presented their ventures to a judging panel comprising Ghias Khan, Independent Non-Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors at Standard Chartered Pakistan; Saad Amanullah, Board Member of FFC and President of PILAP; Musharaf Hai, former Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Pakistan; and Sara Khurram, Chief Executive Officer of Sehat Kahani. The panel assessed the participating businesses as part of the programme’s selection and funding process.
The Women in Tech Accelerator supports women entrepreneurs building innovative, technology-enabled businesses that address market and community needs. Through tailored investment-readiness support, grant funding and expert mentorship, the programme seeks to help participating startups strengthen their operations, scale their businesses, create employment opportunities and develop sustainable business models.
The Pakistan accelerator is part of Standard Chartered Foundation’s global Women in Tech initiative. Since its launch in Pakistan, the programme has supported more than 200 women-led startups through mentorship and has awarded more than USD 425,000 in grant funding. The latest cohort adds three more women-led ventures to the programme’s network and provides them with financial support, continued guidance and access to the wider Women in Tech Alumni Network as they pursue their business growth plans.
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