Women in Tech Accelerator: 3 Startups Win Rs10.5M in Pakistan

Karachi hosted a quiet but significant celebration this week: the graduation ceremony of the eighth cohort of the Women in Tech Accelerator for Pakistan. Three women-led startups just turned ambition into Rs10.5 million in equity-free funding no shares given up, no strings attached. It was the kind of moment that reminds you how much talent is sitting in Pakistan's startup ecosystem, waiting for someone to back it.

The accelerator is run by the Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with INNOVentures Global and Village Capital, and it has become one of the most consistent platforms for women founders in the country. Eight cohorts in, the programme's formula is well proven: find promising women-led startups, put them through serious training, connect them with mentors and investors, and give the best of them the money to go further.

This year's winners took home Rs10.5 million between them. First prize Rs5 million went to EV Square, founded by Aimen Shafique. The second prize of Rs3 million went to Blusha App, led by Minahil Zafar. And the third prize of Rs2.5 million went to Zvolta, founded by Anusha Shahid. The money comes as equity-free grant funding, which means the founders keep full ownership of their companies. For early-stage startups, that detail matters enormously.

Meet the Three Winners

While the announcement focused on the prize money, the real story is the founders themselves. Aimen Shafique's EV Square took the top honour and the Rs5 million prize. The second spot went to Minahil Zafar's Blusha App, which earned Rs3 million. Anusha Shahid's Zvolta rounded out the winners with Rs2.5 million.

Each of these startups survived a competitive selection process that began with thirty founders. They made it through a demanding bootcamp, then through months of investment-readiness work, and finally stood out in front of judges as the three ventures most ready to scale. That journey alone says something about the quality of all three teams.

What the three winners share, beyond the prize money, is a signal to the market. Winning a programme like this tells investors, partners and customers that these companies have been vetted by serious people. In an ecosystem where early-stage startups constantly fight to be taken seriously, that kind of validation can be worth as much as the grant itself.

Winning Is About More Than the Cheque

Here is the part that often gets less attention than the headline prize figures. The three winners don't just walk away with money, they get six more months of structured support. That includes hands-on hand-holding and financial oversight, which is exactly what early-stage founders tend to need most. Having cash without guidance is a common way for young startups to stumble; pairing the two is far smarter.

They also become lifelong members of the Women in Tech Alumni Network. That network now stretches across eight cohorts of founders, which means the winners join a community of women who have faced the same challenges fundraising, hiring, scaling, and doing all of it in a market that hasn't always made room for them. Networks like this compound in value over time. A founder from an earlier cohort might become your first customer, your co-founder, or the person who introduces you to your lead investor.

This combination money plus mentorship plus community is what separates a good accelerator from a forgettable one. A one-time grant can fund a few months of operations. Six months of guidance and a permanent network can change the entire trajectory of a company.

How the Accelerator Works

The programme's structure is worth understanding, because it explains why its winners tend to be strong. It started with thirty founders brought together for a six-day bootcamp an intense, compressed introduction to the fundamentals of building and pitching a company. Thirty is a wide net; it catches founders at different stages and lets the strongest rise.

From there, ten women entrepreneurs were selected for the deeper phase: three months of tailored investment-readiness support and expert mentorship. This is the part that does the heavy lifting. Investment readiness is not a vague concept it means clean financials, a credible growth story, a pitch that survives tough questions, and a team that investors believe can execute. Three months of focused work on those things, with experts in your corner, is a genuine advantage.

By the time the graduation ceremony arrived in Karachi, the judges were choosing from founders who had already been through the wringer. The three winners emerged from a process designed to test exactly the skills they will need next: clarity of vision, discipline in execution, and the ability to convince people with money that their company deserves it.

The partnership behind the programme matters too. The Standard Chartered Foundation brings institutional weight and a global perspective. INNOVentures Global brings local ecosystem knowledge. Village Capital brings deep experience in accelerator design from around the world. It is a combination that has now worked eight times over.

Why This Matters for Pakistan's Startup Ecosystem

Zoom out, and the timing of this cohort looks significant. Pakistan's startup ecosystem is showing real signs of momentum. Startup funding in 2025 reached $74.2 million up 121 percent according to Invest2Invest's Ecosystem Signals 2026 report. Most of that came through hybrid equity-debt deals, which accounted for $66 million of the total. Investors are clearly finding ways to put money to work in Pakistani startups, even in a tough global funding environment.

The government is moving too. Pakistan Startup Fund 2.0 has been announced as a $10 million fund for its second phase, with plans to grow it to somewhere between $25 million and $50 million with backing from the World Bank, IFC and ADB. That kind of institutional commitment changes the conversation. It tells founders that the state sees startups as a serious part of the economic future, not a side project.

But there is a catch that programmes like Women in Tech exist to fix: women founders still get a fraction of the funding that flows to men. Globally and in Pakistan, the gap is stark. Accelerators targeted at women don't just hand out money they correct a market failure. They find founders who might otherwise be overlooked, give them the preparation investors expect, and put them on stage where they can't be ignored.

The eighth cohort's graduation is one small ceremony in Karachi. But multiply it by the networks it builds, the companies it launches, and the precedent it sets, and it starts to look like something bigger: proof that Pakistan's startup future has room for everyone with a good idea and the grit to build it. The Rs10.5 million is already committed. The real returns will show up in the years ahead, in the companies these three founders build next.

FAQs

What is the Women in Tech Accelerator Pakistan?

It is a startup accelerator run by the Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with INNOVentures Global and Village Capital. The programme supports women-led startups in Pakistan through bootcamps, investment-readiness training, expert mentorship and grant funding. The eighth cohort recently concluded with a graduation ceremony in Karachi.

Who won the eighth cohort of the Women in Tech Accelerator?

Three women-led startups won equity-free grants totalling Rs10.5 million. First prize of Rs5 million went to EV Square, founded by Aimen Shafique. Second prize of Rs3 million went to Blusha App, founded by Minahil Zafar. Third prize of Rs2.5 million went to Zvolta, founded by Anusha Shahid.

Is the prize money equity-free?

Yes. The Rs10.5 million in funding is given as equity-free grants, which means the winning founders do not give up any ownership shares in their companies. Winners also receive six more months of hand-holding and financial oversight, plus lifelong membership of the Women in Tech Alumni Network.

How does the Women in Tech Accelerator programme work?

The programme started with 30 founders attending a six-day bootcamp. From there, 10 women entrepreneurs were selected for three months of tailored investment-readiness support and expert mentorship. The process ends with a graduation ceremony where the top startups are awarded grant funding.

How is Pakistan's startup ecosystem performing?

Startup funding in Pakistan reached $74.2 million in 2025, up 121 percent, according to Invest2Innovate's Ecosystem Signals 2026 report, with hybrid equity-debt deals accounting for $66 million. The government has also announced Pakistan Startup Fund 2.0, a $10 million fund planned to grow to $25-50 million with support from the World Bank, IFC and ADB.