The Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge has been launched in India to bridge the funding gap for women-led startups in the tech ecosystem. In partnership with Encubay and VAIA Climate, the initiative aims to provide a launchpad for female entrepreneurs to scale their ventures, secure funding, and access global networks. Prosus, a global tech investor, has invested nearly $9 billion in India, backing successful startups like Swiggy, Meesho, Captain Fresh, and PharmEasy.
However, market research highlights that women-led startups receive less than 5% of global venture capital funding. The FoundHER Challenge addresses this disparity by offering catalytic capital and opportunities to promising female-led startups. Women-led tech startups can apply before April 4, 2025.
A distinguished jury will select thirty shortlisted founders based on innovation, scalability, and impact. The top six founders will pitch their ideas in Bangalore on May 25, 2025, and three winners will receive up to $50,000 in equity-free funding. The finalists will present their startups to an esteemed panel of investors and industry leaders, including Anjali Bansal from Avaana Capital, Archana Jahagirdar, Ronak Sandil, Apurva Dixit, Prosus Ventures CEO Martin Tschopp, and Priyanka Chopra.
addressing funding disparity in India
Deeksha Ahuja, Founder of Encubay, stated, “Encubay was built to bridge the equity gap for women entrepreneurs. Partnering on initiatives like the Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge aligns with our commitment to empowering female founders with access to capital, networks, and mentorship.”
Prajna Khanna, Global Head of Sustainability at Prosus, added, “Women in tech don’t need more barriers—they need opportunities.
Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge is about action, backing women-led startups to scale, innovate, and lead.
Encubay, a global business network with over 10,000 stakeholders, has accelerated growth for over 7,500 founders. The organization partners with HSBC, Google, and AWS to foster sustainability, innovation, and impact. This initiative comes when the Indian government and organizations like the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) emphasize the need to enhance support for women entrepreneurs.
The Economic Survey 2024-25 revealed significant gaps in women’s employment and entrepreneurship, with only 22 percent of India’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) being women-owned. Joyshree Das Verma, President of FLO, stated, “This is not just a statistic; it is a call to action. It is a call for us to step up, support, and strengthen because their success is the success of our economy.
Women-led MSMEs are catalysts for innovation, employment, and economic resilience. The more we support them, the stronger our nation becomes.”
The Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge presents aspiring women entrepreneurs with a golden opportunity to showcase their ventures, connect with investors, and accelerate their growth in the tech landscape.
Photo by TienDat Nguyen on Unsplash