Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited has partnered with Ashesi’s Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) to launch a new incubator focused on supporting women-led or women-owned technology businesses. For the duration of the partnership Standard Chartered Bank, through Ashesi’s GCIC, will offer a series of interventions to selected fellows, including opportunities for grants to scale up their business and access to dedicated enterprise and portfolio managers. Additionally, selected businesses will be given access to the GCIC’s High Values Mini MBA and Women Entrepreneurs Transformation Programme.
Commenting on the Women in Tech initiative, Mrs. Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited, said, “Empowering businesses founded or led by females is crucial to accelerating progress towards achieving our nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. The Women in Tech Incubator will provide an opportunity for women-owned or led businesses to thrive in a post-COVID-19 digital world by tapping into technology adaptation opportunities. Collaborating with Ashesi University’s GCIC is key to this partnership due to the centre’s understanding of the Ghanaian entrepreneurial ecosystem, expertise and commitment to excellence. All of these traits are distinctively complimentary to Standard Chartered Bank’s values and brand promise: here for good. We look forward to all that will be accomplished through this initiative, including redefining entrepreneurship.
Launched in 2014 in New York, Standard Chartered Bank’s Women in Tech Incubator is now a global programme. In 2017 the first WIT incubator was launched in the Africa and Middle East region, with Kenya being the first market, and has subsequently rolled it out in other key markets, including Nigeria, UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain and Zambia. The partnership with Ashesi’s GCIC makes Ghana the 7th market for the programme. In three years, Standard Chartered Bank has provided over $500,000 to various programme cohorts in these markets.
“Collaborating with Standard Chartered to help women entrepreneurs thrive in the innovation and technology sector is a huge privilege and responsibility,” added Ruka Sanusi, Executive Director of the GCIC. “We look forward to providing strong business advisory and support services, as well as executive and leadership coaching to the selected entrepreneurs.”
The Women in Tech incubator will ultimately provide incubation services to 40 women-owned or women-led businesses, with five selected top finalists receiving seed funding from Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited.
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