Prosus Launches Tech FoundHER Challenge to Empower Women-Led Startups in India
Prosus has initiated the Tech FoundHER Challenge in partnership with Encubay, a global network dedicated to bridging equity in entrepreneurship and investing, and VAIA Climate, an investment advisory company.
The initiative, as per Prosus, aims to bridge the gap in funding within the Indian tech ecosystem by offering a platform for women-led startups to scale, raise funding, and connect with global networks.
Encubay says that it was constructed to close the equity gap for women founders. Collaborating on projects such as the Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge is part of its mission to empower women founders with capital, networks, and mentorship.
Prosus, a technology investor and global tech company, has invested close to $9 billion in India, supporting successful startups such as Swiggy, Meesho, Captain Fresh, and PharmEasy in sectors such as fintech, food delivery, and e-commerce. The company's emphasis on innovation and backing businesses with social impact is in line with the vision of the FoundHER Challenge.
According to market studies, women continue to be underrepresented in innovation, tech, and funding. Studies also indicate that startups founded by women are only allocated less than 5% of the venture capital investments made globally, marking a critical deficit. The FoundHER Challenge will reverse this trend by providing catalytic capital and access to female-founded startups within the Indian tech ecosystem.
Women-led tech startups can apply by April 4, 2025, and 30 shortlisted founders will be selected by the jurors based on impact, scalability, and innovation. The top six founders will present in-person on May 25, 2025, in Bangalore, and three winners will be awarded up to $50K of equity-free funding.
The finalists will pitch their startups to a distinguished panel of investors and industry experts, including Avaana Capital's founding partner Anjali Bansal, Archana Jahagirdar, Ronak Sandil, Apurva Dixit, Prosus Ventures CEO Martin Tschopp, and Priyanka Chopra.
Encubay is a 10,000-strong global business network of founders, investors, corporates, and ecosystem partners. It caters to pressing concerns of early-stage founders. Encubay creates knowledge networks, provides access to capital, and offers opportunities to women entrepreneurs. It has been driving growth for 7,500+ founders and collaborated with organizations such as HSBC, Google, AWS, and many more to provide sustainability, innovation, and impact.
