Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge launches in India with $50K for women-led startups

Prosus has launched the Tech FoundHER Challenge in association with Encubay, a global network focused on bridging equity in entrepreneurship and investing, and VAIA Climate, an investment advisory firm.

According to Prosus, this initiative aspires to bridge the funding gap in the Indian tech ecosystem by providing a launchpad for women-led startups to scale, secure funding, and access global networks.

Encubay states that it was built to bridge the equity gap for women entrepreneurs. Partnering on initiatives like the Prosus Tech FoundHER Challenge aligns with its commitment to empowering female founders with access to capital, networks, and mentorship.

Prosus, a global tech company and technology investor, has invested nearly $9 billion in India, backing successful startups like Swiggy, Meesho, Captain Fresh, and PharmEasy across sectors like fintech, food delivery, and e-commerce. The company's focus on driving innovation and supporting businesses with social impact aligns with the mission of the FoundHER Challenge.

As per market research, women remain underrepresented in tech, innovation, and funding. The research also shows that women-led startups receive less than 5% of global venture capital funding, highlighting a critical gap. The FoundHER Challenge is set to change this by offering catalytic capital and opportunities to female-led startups in the Indian tech landscape.

Women-led tech startups can apply before April 4, 2025, and 30 shortlisted founders will be selected based on innovation, scalability, and impact by the esteemed jury. The top six founders will pitch in an in-person session on May 25, 2025, in Bangalore, and three winners will receive up to $50K in equity-free funding.

The finalists will present their startups to an esteemed panel of investors and industry leaders, including Avaana Capital’s founding partner Anjali Bansal, Archana Jahagirdar, Ronak Sandil, Apurva Dixit, Prosus Ventures CEO Martin Tschopp, and Priyanka Chopra.

Encubay is a global business network with over 10,000 stakeholders, including founders, investors, corporates, and ecosystem partners. It addresses key challenges faced by early-stage founders. Encubay focuses on building knowledge networks, facilitating access to capital, and creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs. It has been accelerating growth for 7,500+ founders and partnering with organizations like HSBC, Google, AWS, and more to enable sustainability, innovation, and impact.