KARACHI: Three women-led Pakistani start-ups have received a combined Rs10.5 million in equity-free grants after being named winners of the eighth Women in Tech Accelerator for Pakistan, a programme supported by Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with INNOVentures Global and Village Capital.
The winners were announced at a graduation ceremony in Karachi on September 23, 2026. EV Square, founded by Aimen Shafique, received the first prize of Rs5 million, while Blusha App, founded by Minahil Zafar, secured Rs3 million. Zvolta, founded by Anusha Shahid, received the third prize of Rs2.5 million.
Three Start-Ups Receive Grants
The eighth cohort began with 30 founders participating in a six-day bootcamp. Ten women entrepreneurs were then selected for three months of tailored investment-readiness support, expert mentorship and assistance in strengthening their business models, scalability plans, competitive positioning and funding strategies.
The programme also included a two-stage funding intervention for high-potential start-ups.
In addition to the grants, the three winners will receive six months of further support and financial oversight, along with lifetime membership of the Women in Tech Alumni Network.
Focus on Women-Led Technology Businesses
The Women in Tech Accelerator supports women entrepreneurs developing technology-enabled businesses aimed at addressing market and community needs.
Participants receive investment-readiness assistance, grant funding and mentorship designed to help them develop and scale their businesses.
At the graduation ceremony, the participating founders presented their ventures to a judging panel comprising Ghias Khan, Independent Non-Executive Director and Board Member of Standard Chartered Pakistan; Saad Amanullah, Board Member of FFC and President of PILAP; Musharaf Hai, former CEO of Unilever Pakistan; and Sara Khurram, CEO of Sehat Kahani.
More Than 200 Pakistani Start-Ups Supported
According to the programme organisers, the Pakistan accelerator has supported more than 200 women-led start-ups since its launch and awarded more than US$425,000 in grant funding.
The Pakistan programme forms part of Standard Chartered Foundation’s global Women in Tech initiative, which focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs through funding, mentorship and business development opportunities.