Standard Chartered Foundation awarded 9 million Kenyan shillings in grants to seven women-led startups on Tuesday through its Women in Tech Kenya accelerator, the organisation said in Nairobi.

Each of the seven companies will receive 1.29 million shillings to support product development, business growth and expansion, the foundation said.

The awards were announced at the Women in Tech Kenya Cohort 9 award ceremony and graduation at Standard Chartered’s offices in Nairobi. The foundation ran the programme in partnership with Village Capital and the @iBizAfrica incubation centre at Strathmore University.

The ceremony also marked the graduation of 15 women founders from the 12-week accelerator, the ninth cohort of the programme.

The foundation said the course gives women-led, technology-enabled businesses support in business development, mentorship, investment readiness training, networking and access to what it called catalytic funding.

The 15 startups in the cohort work in agriculture, healthcare, financial inclusion, education, renewable energy and accessibility, according to the statement.

The foundation named the following winners and described their businesses:

Premac Care, a health tech startup that connects families with trained healthcare professionals for maternal and newborn care, recovery after hospital stays, elderly care and specialised nursing.

ChipuRobo, an education technology company offering hands-on artificial intelligence and robotics education through locally made kits.

FishBox Africa, an aquaculture technology company that provides AI-powered farm management software and smart feeders. The foundation said they help fish farmers raise yields, cut feed waste and lower production costs.

Uptyke Consulting, an education technology startup offering AI-powered digital learning for learners with disabilities through sign language, audio and interactive content.

Nakuru Tubers, an agri-tech company that connects smallholder farmers with verified agricultural inputs through digital tools, demand matching and last-mile distribution.

Trident Analytics, an aquaculture startup that uses internet-of-things sensors, AI and digital tools to help small fish farmers monitor farms, automate operations and reach markets.

Seta Farm, a circular agribusiness that uses organic waste to produce mushrooms. The foundation said it creates income opportunities for women and young people through a decentralised production network.

The foundation said the winners were chosen through a competitive judging process that assessed their business models, market opportunity, innovation, growth potential and social or economic impact. The statement did not name the judges or say how many startups applied.

Birju Sanghrajka, chief executive officer and head of coverage at Standard Chartered Kenya, said the bank was proud to celebrate the 15 entrepreneurs.

“We are proud to celebrate 15 entrepreneurs who have strengthened their businesses over the past 12 weeks,” Sanghrajka said.

He said the seven businesses receiving funding tackle different challenges but share an ambition to grow and create impact.

Women in Tech goes beyond capital by providing the skills, networks and support that women entrepreneurs need to build sustainable businesses, he said. He added that this helps them create opportunities and strengthen their communities.

Dr Vincent Ogutu, vice-chancellor of Strathmore University, said partnership had been central to the programme’s success.

Ogutu said the programme began in Kenya as a collaboration between Strathmore University, Standard Chartered and Village Capital, and has since expanded to 13 countries.

“Our goal is to support entrepreneurs to identify real problems, develop exceptional solutions and become excellent at what they do,” he said.

He said the programme puts successful entrepreneurs on a pedestal to inspire the next generation of women founders.

The Women in Tech programme launched in Kenya in 2017, the foundation said. Since then it has supported 107 women-led startups and provided more than 51.5 million shillings in funding, alongside business development support, mentorship and access to networks.

Globally, the Women in Tech accelerator operates in 14 Standard Chartered markets across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States, the foundation said. It said the programme has supported more than 4,000 entrepreneurs to date.