Standard Chartered and Bahrain FinTech Bay Select Ten Female-Led Startups for Sixth Cohort of Women in Tech Program

Manama, Bahrain - Standard Chartered Bank, in partnership with Bahrain FinTech Bay, has announced the selection of ten promising female-led startups to join the sixth cohort of the Futuremakers Women in Tech Bahrain program. This initiative continues to serve as a launchpad for women entrepreneurs driving innovation and impact across key sectors in the Kingdom.

Now in its sixth edition, the program is part of Standard Chartered’s global Futuremakers Women in Tech Initiative and is supported by strategic partners that include The Labour Fund Tamkeen, Supreme Council for Women (SCW), United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment and Technology Promotion Office (UNIDO ITPO Bahrain), and Innovate for Bahrain. The program is designed to equip Bahraini women with the tools, networks, and knowledge to accelerate their ventures and contribute to a more inclusive tech ecosystem.

Following a competitive application and evaluation process, ten founders were selected based on the strength of their ideas, the potential for market traction, and alignment with innovation and tech enablement goals. The selection event was held at Innovate for Bahrain in the presence of Noora Al Nusuf, Head of Corporate Affairs and Brand & Marketing, Bahrain & the Middle East (ex UAE), Standard Chartered Bank; Bader Sater, CEO, Bahrain FinTech Bay; Her Excellency Afnan Al Zayani, Member of the Supreme Council for Women; Faisal Alahmed, Senior Officer - Enterprise Programs, Programs  Partnership Development, Tamkeen; and Ameer Hassan Abubakr, National Investment Promotion Expert, UNIDO ITPO Bahrain. The selected startups span a wide range of industries, including agritech, information technology, e-learning, fintech, marketing automation, and healthtech, among other sectors.

Over the next eight weeks, these female entrepreneurs will undergo a curated incubation journey featuring expert-led workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and pitch development sessions. The program will also connect them with ecosystem leaders and past alumni, fostering a strong network of support and collaboration.

The Futuremakers Women in Tech program reflects the continued commitment to contributing to supporting the potential of Bahraini women in tech. To date, the Women in Tech Bahrain program has supported over 51 female founders and awarded more than $310,000 in funding.

The program will conclude with a Demo Day, where participants will pitch their ventures to a judging panel, and three winners will be selected to receive financial awards and 3 months’ access to a co-working space.