Standard Chartered Boosts Investment in Futuremakers Women in Tech
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Standard Chartered has announced a partnership with Village Capital to continue and expand its Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator across Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan.
Part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered (Futuremakers), the Bank’s global youth economic empowerment initiative for disadvantaged young people, and with funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation, Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator will provide specialised training, catalytic funding, and access to a global network of peers, finance providers, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners.
The Chief Strategy and Talent Officer at Standard Chartered, Tanuj Kapilashrami in a statement said: “Empowering women is critical to economic growth, and central to our stand of lifting participation by unleashing the financial potential of women and small businesses.
“We believe equitable access to funding and resources is essential to fostering innovation and driving meaningful social impact – whether it be through our Futuremakers philanthropic programmes, our banking propositions such as the SC Women’s International Network, or the work we do towards supporting a diverse supplier base,” he said.
Speaking on the impact of the program in Nigeria, CEO Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited, Dalu Ajene in a statement said, “Empowering businesses founded or led by women is crucial to accelerating progress towards fulfilling our Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria. Since the country launch of the SC Women in Technology initiative in 2019, this first of its kind initiative in Nigeria has supported greater diversity in gender representation of women in the country’s technology sector.”
Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Village Capital, Rachel Crawford added that: “Our partnership with Standard Chartered is a gamechanger for women-led start-ups across Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan. By providing critical resources, catalytic capital, and market-level support, we aim to drive inclusive economic growth and ensure that women entrepreneurs can scale their businesses and impact communities at a transformative level.”
