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Bahrain Fintech Bay, in collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank (SC) and the Supreme Council of Women, held a webinar to share details of their latest Incubation Programme collaboration aimed at helping women start or develop a business in the kingdom.
The SC Women in Tech aimed to promote their economic and social development through innovation or technology-led entrepreneurship.
The programme was officially launched with a virtual press conference attended by executives from the bank, the Supreme Council for Women, Bahrain FinTech Bay and members of the media.
Earlier in the week, a webinar was moderated by Suzy AlZeerah, Bahrain FinTech Bay’s head of communications and events, featuring guest speakers Noora AlNusuf, head of corporate affairs, brand and marketing at SC, and Ranya Aljarf, the Gender Balance Centre director at the Supreme Council for Women.
A 20-minute panel discussion featured panellists sharing details of the programme, the virtual challenge and how teams will be formed, followed by an online question-and-answer session.
Suzy said: “The world is currently facing unprecedented challenges as a result of Covid-19. Therefore, innovation and creativity are needed more than ever. This programme invites female entrepreneurs within Bahrain to share their business ideas with the aim of establishing an online presence.”
The Women in Tech Bahrain is part of a global initiative which is already implemented in Standard Chartered New York, Kenya, Pakistan, Nigeria and the UAE. The SC Women in Tech programme focuses on capacity building for women-owned enterprises, targets female-led entrepreneurial teams and provides them with training, mentorship and seed funding.
“Each participating team must be led by a female founder,” explained Suzy. “However, men can also enter and apply to support with design and development. In the absence of a group, all they need to do is submit the form and we will connect them with other participants to form a group.”
Ten start-ups will be short-listed for the programme during the first week of July and the winning teams will then be required to undergo an eight week mentorship programme.
This will be followed by a Demo Day in September 2020 where the participants will be pitching their products and ideas to a panel of judges.
In addition to mentorship and a world-class curriculum, SC will be providing seed funding of $50,000 to the top five winners and Bahrain FinTech Bay will offer a three-month residency at its premises.
To enter the SC Women in Tech incubation programme, people can apply in either of these categories:
l Existing Start-ups: For those who either have an existing start-up, a business plan or an idea.
l Individuals: Enter the 54-hour challenge, where participants can work in teams and together develop innovative business ideas.
To join the programme, register at bahrainfintechbay.com/SCWIT
