The global call for women tech founders to compete for $85,000 in prizes and international recognition by inDrive, the organiser of the Aurora Tech Award, an annual global award for women founders of tech startups, has officially opened applications for the 2026 edition, beginning from August 12, 2025, till November 12, 2025.
The annual global award celebrates visionary female entrepreneurs who are reshaping the future of technology and driving meaningful social change.
Founded by inDrive in 2021, the Aurora Tech Award supports women-led startups that combine innovation with impact.
Over the years, the award has grown into a powerful platform for elevating underrepresented voices in tech, with African female founders notably winning the award in three consecutive years.
Speaking on the award, head of the Aurora Tech Award, Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, explained that the award is meant to unleash a next generation of women techpreneurs.
“The Aurora Tech Award is more than a prize – it’s a springboard for the next generation of bold women founders from emerging markets. We provide not just funding, but access to top investors, global networks, and the tools to help scale ventures that will shape the future of entire industries,” she said.
The 2025 edition attracted a whopping 2,018 applications from 116 countries – double the previous year’s number.
Finalists represented regions including Africa, MENA, LATAM, Central Asia, and APAC, with startups spanning health tech, AI, fintech, edtech, agrotech, and more.
In 2025, 31 African innovators reached the Aurora Tech Award’s Top 120, with Nigeria’s Solape Akinpelu taking home the first prize.
To be eligible to participate, startups must meet the following criteria: ownership or co-ownership by a woman, registration not more than five years old, working prototype—be at pre-seed stage, and be within the funding limit of $6 million in total investment. Eligible participants can apply by submitting an online application at auroratechaward.com.
