Standard Chartered Foundation and Bahrain FinTech Bay Announce Winners of the Seventh Women in Tech Accelerator Cohort in Bahrain

Three women-led start-ups received equity-free grant funding totalling USD 75,000

and three months of incubation support at Demo Day

Manama, Bahrain, 23 September 2026 – Standard Chartered Foundation, in partnership with Bahrain FinTech Bay and Village Capital, and with support from UNIDO and Innovate for Bahrain, has concluded the seventh cohort of the Women in Tech Bahrain programme, awarding three women-led start-ups equity-free grant funding totalling USD 75,000 at Demo Day in Manama. The winners will also receive three months of incubation support.

The programme, in its seventh edition, supported 13 women entrepreneurs through tailored investment-readiness support, expert mentorship and opportunities to strengthen their business models, competitive advantage, scalability and funding strategies.

The first prize of USD 35,000 was awarded to Vivid Algorithms, founded by Marwa Hesham; the second prize of USD 25,000 went to Maraj, founded by Latifa Al Khayat; and the third prize of USD 15,000 was awarded to Jaras, founded by Walaa Aloraibi.

Shaikha Tareef, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bahrain, said: “Women entrepreneurs are an important force for innovation, job creation and sustainable economic growth. Through the Women in Tech accelerator programme, we are not only backing promising businesses; we are helping founders develop the investment readiness, strategic networks and leadership capabilities required to scale with confidence. The achievements of the seven cohorts demonstrate the strength of Bahrain’s entrepreneurial talent and the value of sustained collaboration across the public and private sectors. We are proud to support these founders as they build resilient businesses and contribute to Bahrain’s digital and diversified economy.”

Bader Sater, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain FinTech Bay, under which Innovate for Bahrain operates, commented: “This cohort reflects how far Bahrain’s tech entrepreneurship scene has come. Seven cohorts in, we have watched founders move from early ideas to start-ups with real customers, real revenue, and growing teams. That progress comes from the mentorship, funding, and network opportunities this accelerator provides. Congratulations to this year’s winners and to every founder who took part. We look forward to continuing this work with the Standard Chartered Foundation and our partners in Bahrain.”

Founders presented their ventures to a judging panel comprising Ms Shaikha Tareef, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bahrain; Ms Suzy Al Zeerah, Chief Operating Officer, Bahrain FinTech Bay; Mr Khalid AlBayat, Deputy Chief Executive of Programme Design and Delivery, Tamkeen; Ms Aseya Galadari, Head of Audit, Bahrain and Iraq, and Audit Director GSF IA Grp Audit Intl Markets, Standard Chartered; and Mr Ameer Abu Bakr, National Investment Promotion Expert, UNIDO ITPO Bahrain.

The Women in Tech accelerator programme supports women entrepreneurs building innovative, technology-enabled businesses that address market and community needs. Participants receive tailored investment-readiness support, catalytic grant funding and expert mentorship to help them scale sustainably, create jobs and deliver lasting impact.

The Bahrain programme is part of Standard Chartered Foundation’s global Women in Tech initiative. Since its launch, the programme has supported more than 60 women-led and women-co-founded start-ups in Bahrain through mentorship and awarded over USD 380,000 in grant funding.