Standard Chartered and @iBizAfrica, Strathmore University yesterday announced the top five winners of this year’s Standard Chartered Women in Technology Incubator 2019.
The firms selected five women led teams shortlisted from over 170 applicants. The women won KES 1 million in seed funding each for their businesses.
The five teams were selected from a pull of the top 10 teams previously shortlisted and were being incubated at @iBizAfrica-Strathmore University for 6 months where they were offered coaching, mentoring and business management skills to grow their businesses to the next level.
The five winning companies for 2019 are:
1. Abantu (Range) -Aa startup that focuses on the implementation of unique and innovative technology-based solutions to problems that they are passionate about solving.
2. Bumpy Maternity Wear – A fashion enterprise established in 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya with an aim of supplying measure to wear clothes for middle class working expectant mums.
3. Dermi Joy skincare – A local skincare brand that manufactures all natural cosmetics.
4. Nature’s Bowl enterprise – offers nutritious composite flours that are used to make meals for children and the whole family.
5. Lugha Ishara community-based organization – A community-based organization with a mission of achieving the transformational development of deaf children through technology-based innovations
The awardees will be supported with extended mentoring and milestone-based disbursement of the winnings for a period of 9 months.
“I would like to appreciate all the Women in Tech participants for being the crème of more than 170 enterprises that applied to this programme. Irrespective of the final outcome, remember that in your own right, you are positively transforming our country’s economy and creating more job opportunities. Just like the Bank, you are striving to be a force for good, promoting sustainable economic and social development in the markets and communities where we operate,” said Kariuki Ngari, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya.
