Five women-led Ugandan startups win $10,000 grants each from Standard Chartered

What's the deal? Five women-led technology startups in Uganda have each received a $10,000 grant from the Standard Chartered Foundation, delivering a combined $50,000 in catalytic funding. The recipients — AeRoCAD LearnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Ingo Female TransporterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, MobiKlinic HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Rhizonecare VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Che Innovations UgandaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — won a competitive pitch at the graduation of the Women in Tech Programme's second cohort in Kampala.

Why now? The grants coincide with 20 women-led businesses completing a six-month programme covering business acceleration, mentorship, investment-readiness training, and investor exposure.

What's the endgame? The Women in Tech Programme is a three-year initiative funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation and run by Innovation VillageDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → with Future LabDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. It aims to remove barriers that limit the growth and scalability of women-led technology businesses, while supporting job creation and inclusive economic development.

Japheth Kawanguzi, chief executive officer of Innovation Village, said the funding would help founders move to their next phase. "The catalytic fund provides these founders with an opportunity to translate the knowledge, networks and investment-readiness skills gained through the programme into the next phase of their businesses," he said.

Margaret Kigozi, head of corporate affairs, brand and marketing at Standard Chartered Bank UgandaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, called for stronger collaboration to build a pipeline of investable women-led businesses. She urged stakeholders to ensure women entrepreneurs have "access to capital, visibility and long-term ecosystem support."

The signal: At $10,000 apiece, these are modest, early-stage grants — but they point to a growing focus on funding women-led ventures in Uganda's innovation ecosystem, where access to growth capital remains a persistent barrier.

Read more: ugnewsline.com

Image credit: Generated with Gemini