How Does the Women Startup Grants Program Work?

Tech startups play a pivotal role in the future of this world by driving innovative solutions forward. Women Who Tech has launched the Emerging Tech Challenge to fund innovative women-led startups.

Founders will apply to the Women Who Tech Startup Grants Program, and all eligible applications (SEE CRITERIA AND RULES BELOW) will be reviewed by a panel of jurors. Five finalists will be selected to participate in our virtual pitch coaching series and then pitch our investor jury at the end of the program. Women Who Tech will award one Innovation Grant of $15,000 and one Impact Grant of $5,000. 

The Emerging Tech Grant is designed to fund women-led ventures focused on solving the biggest problems facing this world. 

If you applied to a previous Women Who Tech Startup Grants Program, you’ll be able to repurpose your previous application. Just login to your portal, click New Submission, and some responses will auto-populate. Please update and edit those, and complete the additional questions.

REMINDER: Read all criteria and rules below before beginning your application.

Criteria for Applicants

• Your startup must be based within Africa, Europe, or North America.
   
• Your startup must fit within one of the following verticals: Agriculture or Food Tech, AI, AR, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, EdTech, Energy or Environmental Tech, FinTech, Future of Work, Hardware, HealthTech, IoT, Machine Learning, Robotics, SaaS, Space Tech, or Mobility or Transportation Tech, VR.
   
• Your product must be in beta or already launched to the public. The only exception to this rule is for Ag Tech/Food Tech, Robotics, Mobility/Transportation, Space Tech, IoT, or Hardware startups who must either be in prototype phase, in beta, or already launched to the public.​​​​​​​ You may not apply if you are only in the concept stage.
  
  Note: A prototype is an initial model built to test your product; it is not just a design or a wireframe.
• You cannot have raised more than $5M USD from combined sources.
   
• Your startup must incorporate technology into the approach of your product, which allows the company to rapidly and massively scale in a manner that traditional, independent small businesses cannot. Please note that using tech (i.e. hosting a blog, selling products on your website, or using social media in your marketing) does not qualify as using tech to scale on a mass level nationally and globally.
   
• Fast growing with degrees of innovation. 
   
• All ideas must be original work or an improvement upon an existing idea without infringements. 
   
• You are a technical founder or you have a technical cofounder. Note: If this does not apply to you, please email us (info@womenwhotech.com) and tell us more about your setup. 
   
• You must be a woman-led startup, defined as having at least one woman founder or cofounder on the team.
  
  Note: Women Who Tech uses an inclusive definition of “woman” and “female”, and we welcome transwomen, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who identify as gender-nonconforming, female, and/or woman. People who identify within gender identities associated within the male and/or man spectrums are asked not to apply to uplift space and access for people of genders that are historically oppressed and underfunded.

Rules for Applicants

• Agencies or consulting businesses are not eligible unless you have created a product that fits the above criteria.
   
• Nonprofits are eligible to apply as long as you meet all of the criteria and rules. 
   
• The (co)founder applying for the grant must be a woman.
  
  Note: Women Who Tech uses an inclusive definition of “woman” and “female”, and we welcome transwomen, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who identify as gender-nonconforming, female, and/or woman. People who identify within gender identities associated within the male and/or man spectrums are asked not to apply to uplift space and access for people of genders that are historically oppressed and underfunded. 
   
• All applications must be submitted in English, and all pitches must be given in English.
   
• Applications will be accepted from February 1, 2021 until February 19, 2021 at 11:59pm PT.
   
• Applications will only be accepted online through the application portal on Reviewr.com.
   
• No applicant may reach out to judges, sponsors, and/or partners in advance of the grant process advocating for their startup. Anyone who does will be disqualified. If you have any conflicts of interest, please reach out to the Women Who Tech team at info@womenwhotech.com prior to submitting your application.
   
• Startups who have been awarded a grant through the Women Who Tech Startup Grants Program may not re-apply. Finalists who were not awarded a grant, and finalists of previous Women Startup Challenges are eligible to apply.
   
• Women Who Tech reserves the right to select and reject grant applicants at any time.
   
• All grant finalists are required to virtually participate in the Women Who Tech Startup Grants Program pitch series.

Prizes

Women Who Tech will award two equity-free grants: An Innovation Grant of $15,000 USD, and an Impact Grant of $5,000 USD. Finalists will also receive pitch coaching, mentorship, and investor introductions.