Aurora Tech Awards: Supporting Women Founded Tech Startups Around the World

The Aurora Tech Awards, established by inDrive in 2020, have emerged as a global platform dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women founders in the tech startup ecosystem.

With a mission to spotlight innovation, resilience, and leadership, these awards aim to bridge the gender gap in technology entrepreneurship by providing recognition, resources, and support to women-led startups worldwide.

By honoring the exceptional contributions of women innovators, the Aurora Tech Awards empower female entrepreneurs to scale their ideas, build impactful solutions, and inspire the next generation of women in technology. Each year, the awards receive thousands of applications from across the globe, showcasing the growing influence of women in the sector.

The awards also provide financial grants, mentorship, and global visibility, enabling women-led startups to grow, attract investment, and drive change in their communities.

Beyond individual recognition, the Aurora Tech Awards play a critical role in shifting the narrative around women in tech, challenging stereotypes, and advocating for greater inclusion in the industry.

By amplifying the voices of women innovators, the awards inspire a more diverse and equitable future for the global technology landscape.

What are the Aurora Tech Awards?

The Aurora Tech Awards are a global initiative established by inDrive in 2020 to celebrate and support the achievements of women founders in the technology startup ecosystem.

These awards recognize the vital role that women entrepreneurs play in driving innovation, solving real-world challenges, and contributing to the global tech landscape.

By offering financial support, mentorship, and global exposure, the Aurora Tech Awards empower women-led startups to scale their solutions, attract investment, and inspire future generations of women in tech.

The awards aim to address the gender gap in technology entrepreneurship, where women remain significantly underrepresented, particularly in leadership and funding opportunities.

Through this platform, the Aurora Tech Awards create a space for women founders to showcase their work, connect with like-minded innovators, and access the resources they need to thrive.

Each year, the Aurora Tech Awards receive applications from women entrepreneurs around the world, demonstrating the diversity and potential of female-led innovation.

The winners are selected based on criteria such as the startup’s innovation, impact, scalability, and the founder’s leadership. By recognizing and supporting these trailblazing women, the Aurora Tech Awards contribute to building a more inclusive and dynamic global tech ecosystem where women are seen, heard, and celebrated.

Celebrating Innovation and Impact

In 2025, the Aurora Tech Awards achieved a remarkable milestone, receiving a record-breaking 2,018 applications from 116 countries. This overwhelming response highlights the growing influence, determination, and ambition of women in the global tech industry.

Each application represented a story of resilience, innovation, and the drive to create solutions that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

The surge in participation demonstrates the expanding reach of the Aurora Tech Awards and their vital role in encouraging female entrepreneurs to step forward, share their visions, and connect with a global community of innovators.

From the impressive pool of applications, the top five winners were selected based on the innovation, impact, and scalability of their startups. These winners showcased diverse solutions across industries like health tech, sustainability, fintech, and education, proving that women in tech are driving transformative change worldwide.

Their work not only addresses local challenges but also holds the potential to scale globally, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

The 2025 edition of the Aurora Tech Awards stands as a powerful testament to the unstoppable force of women in technology, championing their achievements and fostering a future where diversity and inclusion thrive in the global tech ecosystem.

Categories of Recognition

1. First Prize ($30,000)

The First Prize of $30,000 is awarded to the most outstanding woman-led startup that exemplifies extraordinary innovation, impact, and potential for scalability.

This top recognition is reserved for a visionary founder who has not only developed a groundbreaking solution but has also demonstrated exceptional leadership and resilience in building a successful business.

The winning startup often addresses critical societal or industry challenges through technology, offering a solution that can be adopted across various markets or regions.

This prize serves as both a reward and a catalyst, providing the founder with the financial resources, global visibility, and encouragement to take her startup to new heights, expand operations, and reach a broader audience.

It stands as a symbol of excellence and serves as an inspiration for other women in tech to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions, reinforcing the Aurora Tech Awards’ mission to empower female innovators around the world.

2. Second Prize ($20,000)

The Second Prize of $20,000 recognizes a woman-led startup that is making significant contributions to solving societal challenges through the innovative use of technology.

This prize honors founders who are developing impactful solutions in sectors such as healthcare, education, sustainability, and community development—areas where technology can transform lives and create long-term benefits for society.

The award acknowledges not just the commercial potential of the startup but also its capacity to drive positive change, uplift underserved communities, and address pressing global issues. Receiving this prize provides crucial financial support and increased visibility, empowering the startup to scale operations, enhance product offerings, or enter new markets.

The Second Prize winner becomes a role model for other aspiring women entrepreneurs, demonstrating how purpose-driven innovation can lead to both business success and social impact. It aligns with the Aurora Tech Awards’ goal of promoting women’s leadership in technology and creating meaningful change.

3. Third Prize ($15,000)

The Third Prize of $15,000 honors a woman-led startup that demonstrates remarkable growth, resilience, and potential in its industry.

This category celebrates founders who have successfully navigated challenges in their entrepreneurial journey—whether in scaling operations, refining product-market fit, or gaining traction in competitive markets. The Third Prize acknowledges both the technical excellence of the solution and the founder’s ability to lead a team, engage customers, and drive measurable outcomes.

By supporting this startup with financial resources and global recognition, the award fuels further innovation and expansion, helping the founder unlock new opportunities for growth. The Third Prize winner embodies the spirit of perseverance, adaptability, and vision, inspiring other women in tech to pursue bold ideas and overcome barriers.

This award underscores the importance of nurturing talent at different stages of growth and reinforces the Aurora Tech Awards’ commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs worldwide.

4. Fourth and Fifth Prizes ($10,000 each)

The Fourth and Fifth Prizes, each valued at $10,000, recognize promising women-led startups that demonstrate innovative solutions and a strong commitment to driving positive change within their communities.

These awards are designed to encourage early-stage founders who may not yet have reached significant scale but are making a notable impact through creative problem-solving and a clear vision for growth.

Whether addressing local issues such as access to healthcare, education, or sustainability challenges, these startups are proof of the transformative power of women’s leadership in tech.

The prizes offer not only financial support but also validation and encouragement to continue developing solutions that matter.

The Fourth and Fifth Prizes reinforce the Aurora Tech Awards’ mission to uplift diverse voices in the global tech ecosystem, providing critical support at a pivotal stage in the startups’ journeys and inspiring future generations of women innovators to step forward with confidence.

Notable Winners of the Aurora Tech Awards

1. Solape Akinpelu (Nigeria)

Solape Akinpelu is the founder of HerVest, a Nigerian fintech platform focused on empowering financially underserved women and female farmers.

HerVest bridges the gap in financial inclusion by providing tailored financial products, investment opportunities, and savings solutions that address the unique needs of women in rural and urban areas.

Through its innovative approach, HerVest enables women to build wealth, improve their livelihoods, and access resources that were previously out of reach. Solape’s vision is to drive financial literacy and economic empowerment for women across Nigeria, creating a ripple effect that strengthens families, communities, and the broader economy.

2. Loretxu Garcia Arraztoa (Chile)

Loretxu Garcia Arraztoa is the founder of Nido Contech, a Chilean startup dedicated to developing sustainable materials for the construction industry.

Recognizing the significant environmental impact of traditional construction methods, Loretxu and her team have created eco-friendly solutions that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability in building practices.

Nido Contech’s materials are designed to be both cost-effective and environmentally responsible, enabling the construction sector to transition towards greener alternatives.

By combining innovation and environmental stewardship, Loretxu is reshaping the future of construction in Chile and beyond, inspiring a more sustainable and conscious approach to urban development.

3. Shreya Prakash (India)

Shreya Prakash is the co-founder of FlexiBees, an India-based platform that offers flexible work opportunities for experienced women professionals.

FlexiBees helps women balance their careers with personal responsibilities, such as caregiving, by matching them with part-time, remote, or project-based roles across diverse industries.

Through this model, Shreya champions the idea that career growth and family life can coexist, empowering women to remain active in the workforce while also pursuing personal goals.

FlexiBees has not only created thousands of jobs but also sparked a broader conversation about gender equity in the workplace and the importance of flexible work models.

4. Laura Velasquez Herrera (Colombia)

Laura Velasquez Herrera is the founder of Arkangel AI, an AI-powered health platform that focuses on disease prevention and early detection.

By integrating AI technology with medical expertise, Arkangel AI enables faster and more accurate screening for diseases, particularly in underserved communities where access to healthcare is limited.

Laura’s solution addresses a critical gap in healthcare systems, ensuring that preventive care reaches those who need it most.

Her work has the potential to reduce health disparities, improve patient outcomes, and alleviate pressure on healthcare providers by enabling earlier interventions. Arkangel AI exemplifies how technology can transform healthcare accessibility.

5. Leonie Korn (Switzerland)

Leonie Korn is the founder of UpLeap, a Swiss startup creating AI-powered simulations for medical training.

UpLeap’s technology offers immersive, realistic learning experiences for medical students and professionals, helping them practice complex procedures in a safe and controlled environment.

By using AI, UpLeap personalizes learning journeys, identifies knowledge gaps, and improves the retention of medical skills, ultimately raising the standard of healthcare education.

Leonie’s work addresses the global challenge of improving medical training while ensuring that future healthcare professionals are better equipped to handle real-life situations. UpLeap is a prime example of how technology can revolutionize learning in critical sectors.

Empowering the Next Generation of Women

Beyond the financial prizes, the Aurora Tech Awards serve as a vital platform for empowering women entrepreneurs in the global tech ecosystem.

The awards provide recipients with access to valuable mentorship from industry leaders and seasoned entrepreneurs who guide them in scaling their innovations and overcoming challenges unique to women-led startups.

Through curated networking opportunities, winners and finalists connect with investors, industry experts, and fellow innovators, opening doors to collaborations and strategic partnerships that fuel business growth.

The global visibility offered by the Aurora Tech Awards amplifies the voices and achievements of these women, helping them gain recognition not only within their local markets but also across international communities.

By spotlighting their successes, the Aurora Tech Awards aim to inspire the next generation of women to enter and thrive in the technology sector.

The awards challenge gender stereotypes and foster a more inclusive narrative around women in tech, emphasizing their critical role in driving innovation, addressing pressing societal issues, and contributing to global progress.

In doing so, the awards reinforce the importance of diversity and inclusion in the tech industry and pave the way for a future where women innovators are equally recognized, supported, and celebrated in building solutions that shape a better world.

Conclusion

The Aurora Tech Awards play a crucial role in reshaping the global narrative around women in technology.

By recognizing and supporting the achievements of female founders, the awards not only offer financial resources but also mentorship, networking, and exposure that empower women to grow their startups and inspire others.

These awards are a testament to the fact that women are key drivers of innovation, addressing societal challenges and creating lasting impact.

As the tech industry continues to evolve, the Aurora Tech Awards serve as a beacon of hope and encouragement for more women to lead, innovate, and thrive.

FAQs

What are the Aurora Tech Awards?

The Aurora Tech Awards, established by inDrive in 2020, recognize and support the achievements of women founders in the tech startup ecosystem. They aim to bridge the gender gap in technology entrepreneurship by providing funding, mentorship, and global exposure to women-led startups.

Who can apply for the Aurora Tech Awards?

The awards are open to women founders or co-founders of tech startups from around the world. Applicants must lead a company that uses technology to solve real-world problems and demonstrate the potential for scalability and impact.

What prizes are awarded in the Aurora Tech Awards?

The awards provide financial grants, including $30,000 for first place, $20,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place. Fourth and fifth-place winners receive $10,000 each. Winners also receive mentorship and networking opportunities.

What criteria are used to evaluate the applications?

Judging focuses on the startup’s innovation, social impact, scalability, and the founder’s leadership. The panel considers how the business addresses societal challenges through technology.

How can women entrepreneurs apply for the Aurora Tech Awards?

Interested women founders can submit applications through the official Aurora Tech Awards website during the designated application period. The process typically includes providing details about the startup, impact, and a pitch presentation.

Aurora Tech Awards: Supporting Women Founded Tech Startups Around the World

What are the Aurora Tech Awards?