inDrive has announced the opening of applications for its Aurora Tech Award 2026 edition. The annual global award celebrates women tech startup founders. It runs from August 12, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
The initiative supports bold female techpreneurs reshaping technology and driving social change. Since its launch in 2021, the Aurora Tech Award has become a powerful platform for elevating underrepresented voices in the tech ecosystem.
This year, women tech founders worldwide are invited to compete for $85,000 in total prizes. The winner will receive $50,000, with $20,000 for the first runner-up and $15,000 for the second runner-up. Beyond funding, finalists gain access to mentorship, global networks, and resources to scale their startups.
The Aurora Tech Award has seen remarkable growth. In 2025, it attracted a record-breaking 2,018 applications from 116 countries, double the previous year’s submissions. Finalists represented diverse regions, including Africa, MENA, LATAM, Central Asia, and APAC. Their startups spanned health tech, AI, fintech, edtech, agrotech, and more.
African women founders have shone brightly, winning the top prize for three consecutive years. In 2025, Nigeria’s Solape Akinpelu claimed first place. A total of 31 African innovators made it to the Top 120, showcasing the continent’s rising influence in global tech.
Eligibility and application process for the Aurora Tech Award 2026
To qualify, startups must meet specific criteria:
– Be owned or co-owned by a woman.
– Be registered for no more than five years.
– Have a working prototype at the pre-seed stage.
– Have raised no more than $6 million in total investment.
Eligible founders can apply via the Aurora Tech Award website. The application window closes on November 12, 2025.
The award’s selection process is thorough. On December 8, 2025, the top 100 quarter-finalists will be announced. Semifinalists (top 30) will follow, with the top three finalists revealed in early 2026.
An esteemed jury of investors and industry experts will evaluate entries based on innovation, scalability, and social impact.
Finalists will participate in a tailored mentorship programme from February to March 2026. This prepares them for the Aurora Tech Award ceremony, set for March–April 2026. The programme offers access to inDrive’s global expertise, investor networks, and strategic resources.
Voices of impact
Past winners and finalists highlight the award’s transformative value.
Solape Akinpelu, the 2025 winner from Nigeria, shared, “Winning the Aurora Tech Award proved African women founders can thrive globally. The funding, mentorship, and exposure transformed my organisation’s growth.” She urged South African women innovators to apply, saying, “Your ideas deserve to be seen and celebrated.”
Loretxu Garcia, a 2025 finalist from Chile, emphasised the award’s unique focus. “It recognises not just technology, but the courage to innovate from our lived realities,” she said. “Applying was my way of saying women are shaping the future through science.”
Shreya Prakash, the 2025 third-place winner from India’s FlexiBees, noted the award’s financial support. “Very few women-centric programmes provide actual funding,” she said. “Aurora backed its belief in women entrepreneurs with the catalyst of capital.”
Launched in 2021, the Aurora Tech Award is a non-profit initiative by inDrive. It supports women-led tech startups in emerging markets with funding, investor access, and global visibility. With less than 2% of global venture capital funding going to women-led startups, Aurora aims to shift the spotlight and resources to bold, visionary founders.
Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, Head of the Aurora Tech Award, emphasised its purpose. “The Aurora Tech Award is more than a prize – it’s a springboard for the next generation of bold women founders from emerging markets. We provide not just funding, but access to top investors, global networks, and the tools to help scale ventures that will shape the future of entire industries,” she said.
inDrive, the world’s second-most downloaded ride-hailing app, operates in 982 cities across 48 countries. Known for its peer-to-peer pricing model, the company advances its mission to challenge injustice and promote gender equality through the Aurora Tech Award.
The award offers more than prize money. Finalists gain access to a curated network of investors and strategic partners. They benefit from inDrive’s global expertise and mentoring support. These resources help startups grow, fundraise, and scale internationally.
For women founders in emerging markets, the award is a game-changer. It provides a platform to showcase innovative solutions and connect with global opportunities. Whether in health tech, AI, or agrotech, the Aurora Tech Award celebrates women who are building their own tables in the tech world.