VC & SC Open Applications for 2026 US Women in Tech Accelerator

• Village Capital and Standard Chartered have opened applications for the 2026 US Women in Tech Accelerator
• This is the second cohort of the program supporting women startup founders

To support female business owners in achieving their goals and supporting job creation, and to help drive economic growth across America, Village Capital (managed by their partner, the Standard Chartered Foundation), is proud to launch the second cohort application of the U.S. Women in Technology Accelerator program.

Even though there is now greater awareness of the funding disparity for women entrepreneurs, the average venture capital amount to the companies represented by all-woman founding partners has remained at just 2.4 percent for more than three decades, demonstrating how much work still has to be done to provide access to innovative/growth resources.

This Woman in Technology Accelerator helps early stage women leading businesses to develop their business concepts and prepare for future growth.

Mandy DeFilippo, Chief Executive, Standard Chartered U.S. & Americas, commented, "This program provides actionable support, expert advice and mentorship to assist early-stage women entrepreneurs in developing successful, sustainable business models and using them to achieve long-term success as they grow and expand their businesses."

Women entrepreneurs from historically marginalised communities are the primary focus for the program.

The program's objective is to provide solutions that create more access to affordable Health and Wellness, Quality Education and Professional Development, Opportunities for Financial Resiliency and Wealth-Building, Services that Support Economic Mobility in Underserved Communities.

Cohort Two Applications will be accepted until January 16, 2026, and startup companies selected for this programme will have investment readiness training, tailored development plans, mentorship from professionals, and access to networking events.

Founding entrepreneurs will be matched with an advisor and/or industry leaders to improve their business models and increase the extent of their impact.

Via virtual workshops, participants will receive the resources, information and connections needed to grow their solutions beyond cohort activities. At the conclusion of the cohort, two (2) participating startups will be chosen by their peers to receive USD$25,000 in grant funding.

All selected] applicants will have access to Village Capital's web-based platform, Abaca, free of charge. Abaca offers numerous tools, including: Capital Explorer, which provides entrepreneurs with support for making acquisitions; a list of appropriate resources; an evaluation of their level of investment readiness; and a progress plan using Milestone Planner.