Seven women-led Kenyan startups have secured Ksh 9 million in grants under the Women in Tech Kenya Accelerator programme in efforts to strengthen female entrepreneurship and technology-driven businesses.
The programme by the Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with Village Capital and iBizAfrica at Strathmore University, with each of the seven startups receiving Ksh 1.29 million to support product development, business growth and expansion.
The grants were announced during the Women in Tech Kenya Cohort 9 Award Ceremony and Graduation in Nairobi, where 15 women founders also completed a 12-week accelerator programme.
The selected startups operate across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, aquaculture, accessibility and circular business models.
The beneficiaries include Premac Care, which connects families with healthcare professionals; ChipuRobo, an education technology venture offering hands-on artificial intelligence and robotics training; and FishBox Africa, which develops digital tools and smart feeders for fish farmers.
Other recipients are Uptyke Consulting, Nakuru Tubers, Trident Analytics and Seta Farm, which uses organic waste to produce mushrooms while creating income opportunities for women and young people.
Standard Chartered Kenya Chief Executive Birju Sanghrajka said the programme was designed to provide women entrepreneurs with more than capital, including skills, networks and business support.
Since its launch in Kenya in 2017, the Women in Tech programme has supported 107 women-led startups and provided more than Ksh 51.5 million in funding.
Globally, the accelerator operates in 14 Standard Chartered markets across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States and has supported more than 4,000 entrepreneurs.
Strathmore University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Vincent Ogutu said partnerships had been central to the programme’s expansion and its focus on helping entrepreneurs develop solutions to practical problems.
My experience shows that smaller teams often struggle to meet the complex reporting requirements of such programs. Different financial structures can present significant hurdles for initial applications.