Yesterday, SC Uganda Women held a graduation ceremony for their 1st cohort of 10 trailblazing women from the inaugural Women in Tech Accelerator Programme, initially launched in April this year.
The memorable ceremony held at the Kampala Serena Hotel was presided over by Madam Lailah Nalukwago, who represented the Chief guest – Dr. Aminah Zawedde, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT.
This event marks a powerful beginning to a three-year WIT Programme, which the organization is implementing in partnership with The Innovation Village and Future Lab, to support more than 42 women-led enterprises with the skills, financing, and networks they need to build tech-driven and sustainable businesses that shape Uganda’s future.
At the same event, 5 standout startups each secured catalytic funding of USD 10,000 (about UGX 37 million) after emerging winners from a Demo-Day event held at MoTIV where all the 10 startups pitched their business ideas for a chance to get seed capital.
The 5 ventures who received seed capital include;
Kuzimba services – Eunice Namugenyi
Blind Assistant Technologies – Suzan Nakajje,
SaylKare – Victoria Nakitto
Impala Health Tech – Maureen kisakye
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These were unveiled by the chief Judge, Roselyn Najjuma, the Organization’s Head of Transaction Banking, who emphasized the robustness of the selection process, explaining that the judging criteria focused on creativity, commercial sustainability and demonstrable impact.
She noted that the panel evaluated not only the strength of each business model but also the leadership teams behind them, their execution capability and the clarity with which they communicated their vision.
Ms. Lailah Nalukwago, who represented the Chief Guest, applauded the programme for expanding Uganda’s innovation space, closing the gap of women in the tech space, and supporting the country’s digital transformation priorities.
She celebrated all the graduates and grant recipients, noting that initiatives like this are pivotal in equipping women entrepreneurs with the resources they need to access markets and capital. She further highlighted that strong public-private partnerships such as the collaboration between Standard Chartered, Innovation Village and FutureLab are essential to unlocking opportunities for women in ICT as Uganda pushes toward a digitally empowered society and its broader national growth agenda.
Margaret Kigozi, our Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, also paid tribute to the cohort and the teams that supported them throughout the programme. She reflected on the graduation not only as the end of an instructional journey, but as a celebration of courage, imagination and the transformative power of women in technology. She urged partners, investors and ecosystem players to remain intentional about supporting women-led businesses by offering access to capital, visibility and long-term developmental opportunities, because when women innovate, they shift communities and strengthen economies.
Standard Chartered CEO, Sanjay Rughani, also reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment. He expressed deep pride in the achievements of the cohort, acknowledging the boldness it takes for entrepreneurs to bring an idea to life. Sanjay pointed to the persistent funding gap that slows the growth of women-led businesses. He stressed that broadening access to financing, mentorship and market opportunities are critical for unlocking Africa’s innovation potential, reminding the audience that when women have room to grow, they elevate entire communities.
The Women in Tech Programme stands as a testament to the Bank’s broader ambition to reduce gender gaps in entrepreneurship, technology and innovation.
