Standard Chartered & Village Capital Back Women-Led Tech

In a key step toward addressing the gender finance gap in the entrepreneurial scene, Village Capital has partnered with Standard Chartered Bank to develop a financing facility devoted to supporting women-led start-ups. The alliance intends to give catalytic funding to early-stage, impact-focused enterprises, enabling women entrepreneurs to overcome barriers to investment possibilities.

The project, which primarily focuses on alumni of Standard Chartered Bank's Women in Tech program, acknowledges the crucial need for gender-focused investment efforts. The alliance aims to provide targeted assistance for women-led businesses focusing on solutions to local and global concerns.

Heather Matranga, Vice President, Impact Investments at Village funding, was enthusiastic about the collaboration, underlining the aim of increasing investment funding for impact-driven women entrepreneurs. The pilot facility is intended to provide creative and catalytic funding that addresses the unique requirements of female entrepreneurs across a variety of company formats and industries.

As a significant milestone in the relationship, Village financial has made its first investment in two women-led start-ups: Bena Care in Kenya, which provides cheap clinical care at home, and Mighty Finance in Zambia, which focuses on giving financial access to predominantly female-led enterprises. The total investment of $150,000 demonstrates both organizations' commitment to promoting women in entrepreneurship.

Joyce Kibe, Standard Chartered's Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand, and Marketing, emphasized the success of the Women in Tech program, which has educated over 70 women-led firms. The relationship demonstrates Standard Chartered and Village Capital's shared commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in impact investment, utilizing their combined skills to have a significant effect on the global entrepreneurial environment.