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Tech it to the next level
In collaboration with Standard Chartered and the Supreme Council for Women, we are thrilled to announce the SC Women in Tech Bahrain – cohort 2. The program is aimed at supporting women who are looking to grow their businesses. If you’re an owner of an existing business or a start-up or know someone who is, don’t miss this valuable opportunity.
The program will focus on 10 shortlisted female-led businesses by offering them the chance to take part in an 8-week program, where they will have access to subject matter experts. These experts will help these businesses scale up and equip them with the necessary skills to thrive in today’s business environment. Once the 8-week program is completed, the 10 shortlisted businesses will have to pitch their ideas/concepts along with their business plans to a panel of judges, who will select the top 5 winners.
Applications are open for all females who own or will own a business and who are above 18 years. They can be Bahrainis or Residents of Bahrain. Men can also be part of a female-owned business, where they can support with their field of expertise ie design, technology, etc. The main condition is that the business has to be female-led.
All applications, networking, training, and mentoring will take place online, as we fully embrace the power of technology and especially given the current circumstances. The program encourages sustainable, technological solutions in the following categories:
Who can join?
Female-led startup or female co-founder
Bahraini citizen or resident
Early-stage startup (pre-CR stage permissible)
Prizes
3-month incubation at Bahrain FinTech Bay
USD 10,000
For each winning team
Timeline
March 30 - May 13
May 23 - 24
May 30
July 29
August 8
8-week training in #SCWomenInTech Incubator
Applications
Open (Kickoff)
Selection Pitch
Start of Digital Incubation
End of Digital Incubation
Demo Day
On May 23rd, 24th, 2021, the top 20 startups will be pitching their solutions over the course of 2 days. The selection committee will select the top 10 startups who will later be selected to progress to go through the 8-week training, followed by pitching at the final week's Demo Day.
Virtual Challenge Agenda
Selection Pitches: May 23 - 24, 2021
8-Week Incubation Program: May 30 - July 22, 2021
Demo Day: August 1, 2021
Startups will have 3 minutes to pitch, and 2-3 minutes for Q&A.
03:00-04:00pm - Break
04:00-05:00pm - Batch 2
05:00-06:00pm - Judge Deliberation
06:00pm - Winner Announcements
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Got an idea?
Our tools and resources will help you map out your idea.
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Already formed a company?
We'll connect you to mentors and industry experts who will help you overcome your obstacles and look into growing and scaling your startup.
Success Stories
Women In Tech Bahrain 2020 - Cohort 1
150+
Program applications
USD 50,000
Total funding
Since graduating from the program, we feel like we've never stopped - which is certainly a positive! We've been met with high acclaim across the GCC for supporting local artisans and their businesses across our multi-vendor platform (www.thepopupshop.co). Our business horizons are expanding even further with some interesting collaborations and projects happening within this next quarter that we cannot wait to share with you. Keep your eyes on our Instagram account (@thepopupshop.co_ ) for all the latest updates!
Exciting news: Tribepod is now live! Onboarding global talent and connecting teams of professionals with businesses. Thanks to the program, in a matter of months, we've signed contracts with two large clients within the financial and education sectors - working on diverse projects ranging from Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Marketing Branding.
Our success in joining the program has opened many doors for uRento. One of them is a gateway to an investment opportunity by one of Bahrain’s prominent startup programs and seed funding to jumpstart our platform. We are close to launching with a potential 800+ units to come onboard and start simplifying property management! We had four investor meetings up to date, which are very interested and keeping them at bay till we launch in Bahrain and gain traction.
Since graduating from the Standard Chartered Women In Tech Program, we joined one of Bahrain's prominent startup programs, where we received more funding, mentorship, and legal support. We have created the region's first direct-to-consumer market for gold jewelry, sourcing items directly from factories and supplying them to customers without any retail markup. Today, we have achieved over USD 32,000 in sales; we have onboarded three jewelry factories and two diamond dealers in Bahrain, one factory, and one diamond dealer in Dubai. We have launched our first designer collection for Valentine's Day and are set to launch a designer collection created in collaboration with a local Instagram celebrity.
Besides offering VR-solutions before joining the program, we are happy to announce that we have added VR walkthrough shooting services for real estate and VR cloud services, which reduce the need for physical interaction and make communication faster. The SC Women In Tech Program helped us shape the right way to pitch our business and expand our idea to new industries. We got opportunities to collaborate with other startups; that’s why we recommend the program to any female entrepreneur.
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Winning teams
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility Criteria
- Established startup (Pre-CR stage permissable to apply)
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Bahraini citizen or resident -
Startup has to have at least 1 female co-founder, or a female founder.
Can I pitch my existing startup?
Yes, you can! However, your startup has to have at least 1 female founder.
Can I still join even if I don't have a team?
Ofcourse! In the absence of a group, all you need to do is submit the form, and we will connect you with other team members to form a group.
What resources do I need if I qualify to the 8-week incubation program?
- A laptop with functional video (webcam), and audio (mic) settings
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High-speed internet -
At least 1-2 members to be available to attend pitch practices, mentor sessions, and subject matter sessions during the 8-week training programs.
What should the theme of my idea be for the program?
Your ideas should be aimed at supporting sustainable technology solutions in the following key areas:
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Business Continuity -
Health -
Community
Will there be any mentors?
Yes! Our goal is to connect you with mentors and industry experts of various fields who will help guide you through sharing knowledge and best practices.
Standard Chartered Women In Tech Incubator past winners
You can read all about the journey of the past winners of the Standard Chartered Women In Tech Incubator here.
Program process
Stage 1: (March - May, 2021)
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Apply to the Selection Pitch (Registration opens on March 30th, 2021) -
Short-listed to top 10 startups (May 24th, 2021)