Standard Chartered and Bahrain FinTech Bay Announce Winners of Futuremakers Women in Tech Bahrain Demo Day

Three Female-Led Bahraini Startups Win USD 75,000

Manama, Bahrain: The Futuremakers Women in Tech Bahrain Programme, an initiative by Standard Chartered in partnership with Bahrain FinTech Bay, and supported by the Labor Fund “Tamkeen”, the Supreme Council for Women, UNIDO, and Innovate for Bahrain, successfully concluded its sixth cohort with an engaging Demo Day. The event celebrated ten pioneering female entrepreneurs and awarded USD 75,000 in funding along with three months of incubation to three standout Bahraini startups.

This year’s winners were selected based on a rigorous evaluation of business models, competitive advantage, scalability, team strength, and funding impact. The first prize of USD 35,000 was awarded to Tell Saleem’s Dr. Razan Al Jabal; the second prize of USD 25,000 went to Wajba’s Lulwa Sowaileh; and the third prize of USD 15,000 was earned by Tamam’s Noor AlDerazi. The startups represented diverse sectors and were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges representing programme partners.

Dr. Boutros Klink, CEO of Standard Chartered Bahrain, said: “At Standard Chartered, we remain committed to introducing initiatives and fostering partnerships that create opportunities for such talent to flourish and succeed. We are incredibly proud of the brilliant woman graduating from our Futuremakers Women in Tech programme. This cohort, the sixth of its kind since the inception of the programme here in Bahrain, has shown remarkable resilience, innovation, and leadership, and today's demo day is a powerful reminder of the impact women can make in the tech ecosystem. These founders are not just building startups, they are doing their part in contributing to the tech business sector”.

With each edition, the Futuremakers Women in Tech programme strengthens Bahrain’s innovation ecosystem by nurturing female-led startups. Over an intensive eight-week incubation journey, participants received tailored mentorship, hands-on workshops, and pitch training, preparing them for Demo Day and supporting the success of their start-ups in the long-term.

Bader Sater, CEO of Bahrain FinTech Bay, commented: “We would like to congratulate the ten innovative finalists and the three winners that have once again reinforced our dedication and commitment to showcasing our Kingdom’s strong talent. This cohort has demonstrated that Bahraini women are not only capable of innovating across industries but are ready to lead the future of tech-driven entrepreneurship. We are proud to have delivered the programme in strategic partnership with Standard Chartered, and we hope to build on this initiative to encourage even more talent in the Kingdom’s growing technology sector and startup ecosystem.”

The Demo Day was held in the presence of government officials, industry leaders, and ecosystem representatives, underscoring Bahrain’s ongoing commitment to women’s empowerment and economic diversification.

The judging panel included Dr. Boutros Klink, CEO, Standard Chartered Bahrain; Ms. Afnan Al Zayani, Member of the Supreme Council for Women; Ms. Suzy Al Zeerah, Chief Operating Officer at Bahrain FinTech Bay; Ms. Marwa Aleskafi, Director – Workforce, Enterprise & Startup Enablement of Tamkeen; Mr. Ameer Abu Bakr, National Investment Promotion Expert of UNIDO ITPO Bahrain; and Ms. Nada Abdulla, Community Engagement Manager of Standard Chartered Bahrain.

Launched in March 2025, the sixth cohort forms part of Standard Chartered global Futuremakers by Standard Chartered initiative, designed to close the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. To date, the Bahrain programme has supported 61 startups through mentorship, with 22 receiving a combined USD 385,000 in funding to scale their ventures.