Celebrating Our 6th WomenInTech Cohort 🎉
As we celebrated the graduation of our 6th WomenInTech cohort, I found myself surrounded by some of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met—women who push boundaries, challenge norms, and prove that Pakistan’s female founders are a force to be reckoned with.
And what a year it has been! Over the last six years, WomenInTech has worked with 145 female founders across 21 industries and 9+ cities. Despite challenges, 80% of these businesses continue to thrive, with 20% securing additional investments beyond grants and acceleration support. This program has grown into one of Pakistan’s top acceleration platforms empowering women entrepreneurs.
🚀 This Year, We Took Bold Steps
In 2024, we redefined how we support women-led startups. We introduced new strategies that focused on real-time scaling, competitive validation, and smarter funding. Here’s how:
✅ 6-Week Validation Phase: Instead of awarding grants at the end, we provided PKR 1 million each to 10 founders and challenged them to prove their businesses could scale.
✅ Competitive Growth Strategy: Founders had to show real-time revenue acceleration—who could grow the fastest, validate their assumptions, and scale effectively?
✅ Restructured Grants: Instead of 7 smaller grants, we awarded 3 larger ones—because when a business shows real growth potential, it needs significant capital to make it happen.
📊 The Results? Game-Changing! 🔥
Our 10 finalists entered the program with a combined 12-month revenue of PKR 75M.
In just 6 weeks, they collectively booked PKR 36.5M—a 5.5x acceleration beyond our historical average!
These founders validated their business models, experimented with new strategies, and proved that women-led businesses in Pakistan are scaling at record speed.
Why This Matters 💡
Women entrepreneurs—here and around the world—are often solving problems that are deeply personal, commercially viable, and scalable. Yet, traditional VC funding models often overlook them in favor of hyperscale tech startups.
At WomenInTech, we do things differently. We don’t just fund businesses—we challenge, support, and equip female founders with the tools to create sustainable momentum. When investors come knocking, our founders aren’t just ready; they’re irresistible.
A Heartfelt Thank You 💙
To every founder in this cohort: You are proof that Pakistani women can build and scale at an unprecedented level. I am beyond proud of what you have accomplished and can’t wait to see where your businesses go next.
To Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan, thank you for believing in this program, our founders, and the vision of a more inclusive, thriving startup ecosystem. Your support has been instrumental in making this possible.
📢 What’s Next?
This is just the beginning. Here’s to more women scaling bigger, faster, and bolder than ever before. 🚀
