StanChart's Ghana women-led venture grants come in at ~$9,900 each
What's the deal? Standard Chartered Bank Ghana awarded GH₵567,500 in grants to five women-led businesses from the sixth cohort of its Women in Tech Accelerator. Each winner — Edu3DcationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, WADMETDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Verte TowerDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, SisiMarieDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and PorducareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — received GH₵113,500, or roughly $9,900. The program runs in partnership with the Ghana Climate Innovation CentreDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (GCIC).
Why now? The awards followed the graduation of Cohort 6, which brought together 10 women entrepreneurs from across Ghana. The grants target capital for specific operational investments rather than general working capital.
What's the endgame? One recipient, Verte Tower, builds vertical farming systems that let households grow food using hydroponic technology on rooftops, backyards, and open spaces, with optional solar power. Founder Georgina Yaa Boamah said her agritech company will use the funding to shift from manual production to machinery-assisted manufacturing.
The aim is consistency. "So, if we have our own machinery to do this, now we can have repeatable systems that are efficient everywhere that we place them," Boamah said.
The context: Launched in 2020, the accelerator has supported more than 80 women-led businesses in Ghana, spanning agritech, edutech, aquatech, construction, and e-commerce. Chief executive officer Xorse Godzi said its value extends beyond money.
"Many women entrepreneurs still face barriers to finance, expertise, networks and markets. The Women in Tech programme is helping to close those gaps through catalytic funding, practical business training, tailored mentorship and access to valuable networks," Godzi said.
This cohort deliberately reached beyond Ghana's main commercial hubs. GCIC executive director Pearl Esua-Mensah said founders came from the Upper East, North East, Savannah, and Central regions, and included women living with disabilities.
The signal: The grants are modest by global venture standards — under $10,000 each sits near the bottom of the funding-size range. But that is the point: catalytic capital paired with training and mentorship, aimed at underserved founders who often lack access to conventional finance.
Read more: thebftonline.com
Image credit: joshtabti
