Aurora Tech Award 2026 to Provide $85,000 to Women-Led Startups Driving Social Impact

By: WE staff | Monday, 18 August 2025

• The inDrive in association with the 2026 Aurora Tech Award will grant $85,000 to women-founded startups that are leading innovation for social good
• Since 2021, the initiative has been celebrating female tech entrepreneurs from the developing world

Aurora Tech Award 2026, in Collaboration with inDrive, to provide $85,000 to Women-Owned Startups Fueling Social Change

Since its launch in 2021, the award has become a global platform highlighting female technology entrepreneurs from burgeoning economies.

Since its inauguration in 2021, the initiative has highlighted women tech founders globally, with a focus on those from developing economies. Nigerian entrepreneurs have dominated the competition for the past three years, with Solape Akinpelu, the Nigerian founder, winning the $50,000 grand prize in 2025, selected from a record 2,018 entries across 116 countries.

This year's call for entries arrives on the heels of global studies showing that women-founded ventures remain to draw less than 2 percent of all venture capital investment.

In addition to cash prizes, participants are provided with inDrive's international investor network, mentorship, and personalized strategic resources to further scale globally.

Eligible startups should be female-owned or co-founded, be less than five years old, be at the pre-seed stage, and have raised less than $6 million in aggregate funding.

Key dates:

December 8, 2025 – Top 100 quarterfinalists announced

Early 2026 – Finalists announced

March–April 2026 – Award ceremony