Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 8 July 2026 – Standard Chartered Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the Digital Entrepreneurship Center (CODE) at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at), and Falak Investment Hub, has announced the selection of ten women-led Saudi startups to join the fourth cohort of the Women in Tech programme in the Kingdom. This initiative continues to serve as a platform for empowering female entrepreneurs who drive innovation and contribute to the growth of key sectors across Saudi Arabia.
The programme is an extension of Standard Chartered’s global Women in Tech initiative, which aims to empower female entrepreneurs in the technology sector and strengthen their presence within the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, contributing to the growth of startups and supporting the expansion of the digital economy.
The ten startups were selected from 251 applications submitted from 20 cities across the Kingdom, representing 15 diverse sectors. Following a rigorous evaluation process and specialised interviews, the programme recorded an acceptance rate of approximately 4%, reflecting its highly competitive nature and the quality of the participating ventures. The selected cohort includes startups operating across a wide range of sectors, including artificial intelligence, HealthTech, PropTech, CleanTech, the Internet of Things (IoT), software solutions, workforce management, and consumer services. Members of the judging committee included Nada Aljeffri, Chief Risk Officer, Standard Chartered Saudi Arabia; Khalid Algoufi, SC Ventures Lead, Standard Chartered Saudi Arabia; Adwa Aldakheel, Founder and CEO of Falak Investment Hub; Fawaz Al-Tamimi, Director of Social Entrepreneurship Department, Monsha'at and Faten Almutairi, Digital business Growth Program Manager at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
Mazen Bunyan, Chief Executive Officer & Head of Banking and Coverage, Standard Chartered Saudi Arabia, stated: “We are proud to have launched the fourth cohort of the Women in Tech programme in Saudi Arabia in March and to welcome ten promising women-led startups that reflect the strength of innovation and entrepreneurial talent emerging across the Kingdom. The significant increase in applications this year demonstrates the growing momentum of women-led innovation and the expanding depth of the startup ecosystem. Through this programme, we are not only supporting founders with the tools, networks opportunities and funds they need to scale, but also contributing to the broader ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 by enabling a more inclusive, innovative and future-ready economy. We look forward to seeing how this cohort will translate its potential into sustainable growth and lasting impact”.
Adwa Aldakheel, Founder and CEO of Falak Investment Hub, stated: “The start of the fourth cohort of Women in Tech marks another important step in supporting Saudi women entrepreneurs who are building promising technology-driven ventures. At Falak, we believe that empowering women founders goes beyond training; it is about building confidence, expanding access to networks, and opening real pathways for growth. We are pleased to continue this journey with Standard Chartered in supporting a new generation of women-led startups.”
The selected cohort includes startups operating across a wide range of sectors, including artificial intelligence, HealthTech, PropTech, CleanTech, the Internet of Things (IoT), software solutions, workforce management, and consumer services.
The selected ten startups are: The WordWave: ContentTech, B2B SaaS; Lesser for sustainable solutions: Cleantech, Circular Economy; AIVORA Tech: AI, Extended Reality (VR/AR/MR); Munji: Cardiac MedTech, IoT Wearables, AI Health; Bookahospi: HealthTech, Cross-Border Talent; GigSA: Event Workforce Management, AI; ADADK: Smart Water, IoT, CleanTech; Wilow: Laundry, Consumer Services; Bunyan-Quintes: PropTech, Real Estate Tokenization and Placeit: PropTech, Residential & Tourism
Over the course of eight weeks, the selected startups will participate in an intensive acceleration programme featuring specialised workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and direct engagement with investor networks. The top three startups will receive up to SAR 169,000 in equity-free funding from Standard Chartered to support their growth and expansion.
The Women in Tech programme continues to play a key role in empowering female entrepreneurs and advancing economic inclusion. Since its launch in Saudi Arabia in 2022, the programme has supported more than 40 startups and awarded over USD 200,000 in funding to women-led ventures.