Aurora Tech Award 2026 opens applications for women tech founders in Nepal

KATHMANDU: The Aurora Tech Award has opened its application process, inviting women founders of tech startups in Nepal to apply, organisers recently announced.

Founded by inDrive in 2021, the award supports women-led startups that combine innovation with social impact. The 2025 edition attracted a record 2,018 applications from 116 countries, with finalists representing MENA, LATAM, Central Asia and APAC and working on solutions in health tech, AI, fintech, edtech and agrotech.

The open call runs until November 12, 2025. Eligible startups must be founded or co-founded and led by a woman; registered no more than five years ago; have a working prototype, minimum viable product or early clients; be at pre-seed or seed stage; and have raised no more than US$6 million in total investment, including the seed round.

Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, head of the Aurora Tech Award, said, “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 entire industries.”

Quarter-finalists (top 100) will be announced on December 8, 2025, followed by a top 30 of semi-finalists and finalists in early 2026. All finalists will join a tailored mentorship programme in February and March 2026 ahead of the award ceremony in March or April 2026.

Winners will receive $50,000 for first place, $20,000 for second and US$15,000 for third. Beyond the prize money, finalists will gain access to a curated network of investors and strategic partners, inDrive’s global mentoring support and resources to grow, fundraise and scale internationally.

Applications can be submitted online at auroratechaward.com.