Five Nigerian women entrepreneurs are set to receive a combined $50,000 in grant funding after emerging as winners of the seventh cohort of the Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech Accelerator in Nigeria.
The five founders, each awarded $10,000, are building technology-enabled businesses addressing challenges across healthcare, event management, digital accessibility, trade and education.
The winners are Jennifer Esiaba, founder and CEO of Mariam Grey Pharmacy; Christine Imoukhuede, founder and CEO of Ahavaplan; Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya, founder and CEO of Adaptive Atelier; Fara Popoola, founder and CEO of Proc360; and Adejoke Haastrup, founder and CEO of Kidsthatcode.
Their selection followed a pitching session in which founders presented their business models and growth strategies to a panel of judges. The five winners emerged from a wider cohort of 11 women-led businesses participating in the accelerator.
Jennifer Esiaba’s Mariam Grey Pharmacy is using artificial intelligence to improve access to medication, pharmacist consultations and chronic care support. The telepharmacy allows users to access its services through smartphones, basic mobile phones and USSD, creating additional access points for people who may have limited access to smartphones or reliable internet connectivity.
Christine Imoukhuede’s Ahavaplan is an AI-powered customer relationship management platform designed for event planners. The platform helps users manage clients, events, communications and other business operations from one place.
For Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya, technology is being applied to another important area: digital inclusion. Her company, Adaptive Atelier, develops solutions that help businesses create more accessible digital experiences, including AI-powered accessibility auditing and a marketplace connecting businesses with professionals with disabilities.
Fara Popoola’s Proc360 is tackling trust and efficiency in business-to-business trade. The platform provides services including supplier verification, quality control and secure payment solutions to help African small and medium-sized businesses trade with greater confidence.
Adejoke Haastrup is focused on preparing young people for the digital economy through Kidsthatcode, an education technology platform that teaches children and teenagers coding and digital skills through classes, mentorship programmes, hackathons and practical projects.
The accelerator was delivered by the Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with Village Capital and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University.
Joke Adu, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered Nigeria, said providing women entrepreneurs with access to funding, skills, mentorship and professional networks can help them expand their businesses, create jobs and develop solutions to social and economic challenges.
“The achievements of our Cohort 7 winners reaffirm the immense potential that exists when women founders are given access to the right skills, networks, mentorship, and capital,” Adu said.
Dr Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre at Pan-Atlantic University, also highlighted the importance of combining financial support with business development and networks. She said participants had strengthened their businesses, deepened their use of technology and built valuable connections throughout the programme.
The Women in Tech Accelerator provides participants with investment-readiness training, personalised development support, mentorship and opportunities to connect with industry leaders and other entrepreneurs.
The programme has operated in Nigeria since 2020 and forms part of a wider global initiative that is active across 14 Standard Chartered markets. According to the programme, more than 4,000 entrepreneurs have been supported globally.
For the five Nigerian founders, the latest grants provide capital to strengthen their operations, develop their products and pursue their growth plans. More broadly, their businesses reflect the expanding range of problems Nigerian women entrepreneurs are using technology to solve — from access to healthcare and inclusive digital experiences to business trade, professional services and digital education.
