Women entrepreneurs running technology and tech-enabled businesses have been urged to seize the opportunity to join the 2026 cohort of the Standard Chartered Women in Technology (WiT) Accelerator Programme, as efforts intensify to unlock the full potential of women-led enterprises in Uganda’s fast-evolving digital economy.
The call was made during the official launch of the programme’s second cohort at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, where partners framed the initiative as a bold intervention aimed at dismantling long-standing structural barriers that continue to hinder women from scaling high-growth ventures.
Delivered by the Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with Innovation Village and Village Capital, and implemented by Future Lab, the three-year programme goes far beyond conventional entrepreneurship training. It blends market access, investment readiness, mentorship, and catalytic funding to accelerate sustainable business growth.
Speaking at the launch, Standard Chartered Bank Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Sanjay Rughani, encouraged women founders to take full advantage of the initiative, emphasizing its focus on tackling deep-rooted challenges that constrain enterprise growth.
“Persistent inequalities across Uganda and the region continue to hold back women-led businesses. Yet, empowering women is essential for economic transformation and thriving communities,” Rughani said. “This accelerator is not just about skills—it’s about unlocking access to networks, capital, and opportunities needed to build resilient, revenue-generating enterprises.”
Running from April to October 2026, the 30-week accelerator targets women entrepreneurs with scalable, impact-driven solutions and is expected to deliver tangible outcomes, including job creation and expanded market participation.
Unlike traditional accelerators, the Women in Tech programme adopts a three-pillar model designed to address ecosystem-wide constraints.
According to Japheth Kawanguzi, Team Lead at Innovation Village, the model integrates a Community of Practice, an Accelerator, and a Market Integration component.
“Beyond supporting individual businesses, we are building a sustainable pipeline of women entrepreneurs while strengthening linkages across the broader technology ecosystem,” Kawanguzi explained.
He noted that up to 20 women-led businesses will be supported, with at least 14 expected to graduate as investment-ready ventures. The Market Integration pillar will connect participants to real business opportunities through pilot partnerships, commercial agreements, and investor networks.
“A newly introduced Community of Practice will bring together founders, investors, and industry leaders, ensuring continued collaboration and support even after the programme ends,” he added.
The launch comes at a time when gender disparities remain stark in Uganda’s technology sector, where women make up only about 18 percent of the workforce.
Many still face limited access to financing, digital skills, and professional networks.
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero, said government is taking deliberate steps to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and bridge the gap between policy and practice.
“We have established dedicated structures, including an economic unit for Science, Technology and Innovation metrics, to close the gap between policy and knowledge,” she said. “Through STI, we are rolling out town halls and platforms to improve access to information, facilities, and innovation spaces.”
She added that the Women in Tech programme aligns closely with Uganda’s national development agenda.
“It directly contributes to building a knowledge-based economy and advancing the country’s broader economic transformation goals,” Musenero noted.
Arthur Mukembo, Chief Executive Officer at Future Lab, revealed that the inaugural cohort supported 12 women entrepreneurs, with top performers receiving up to $10,000 in catalytic funding to scale their ventures.
“In 2026, we aim to support up to 20 enterprises, deploy $50,000 in catalytic funding, and create over 100 direct and indirect jobs,” Mukembo said. “We also anticipate at least 60 new jobs and more than 10 live commercial pilots.”
Globally, the Standard Chartered Foundation has committed over $600,000 in grant funding for the 2026 cohort across 12 markets, including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. To date, the initiative has supported more than 4,000 women founders across 17 markets.
