The Aurora Tech Award, an annual recognition celebrating the most daring and visionary female entrepreneurs in emerging markets, has revealed its Top 120 founders for 2025. This year’s award drew a record-breaking 2,018 applications from 116 countries, doubling last year’s submissions.
The Longlist is led by Nigeria, followed by Brazil, the United States, and Egypt. Other notable contributors include Colombia, Kenya, the United Kingdom, India, and Kazakhstan, showcasing a truly global representation.
“This is the first year we’re introducing the Aurora Top 120, curated from a three-month open call that brought in over 2,000 applications from female entrepreneurs. After an intensive selection process, we’ve identified 120 exceptional women who are spearheading transformative businesses in emerging markets. These trailblazers are redefining their industries and are poised to make a significant impact in 2025,” shared Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, head of the Aurora Tech Awards.
This year’s initiative has also seen a surge in venture capital support, with VC partnerships increasing from 23 to 35. Notably, new partnerships from Egypt, Brazil, and Pakistan reflect the growing global recognition of Aurora’s mission.
Regional Highlights
- United States: Submitted 15 applications, with 7 startups in healthtech and others spanning ecotech, edtech, and foodtech.
- United Kingdom: Contributed 4 submissions across travel-tech, HR-tech, and healthtech.
- Colombia: Showcased innovations in renewable energy, edtech, ecotech, and healthtech.
Key Industry Trends
Healthtech leads the way, with 30 startups on the list, emphasizing the global focus on healthcare innovation. Agritech and edtech continue to be pivotal, while e-commerce startups are evolving toward dynamic marketplace models. Africa remains a leader in agritech innovation. Renewable energy saw limited representation, with startups from Colombia and Iraq. HR-tech startups primarily hail from Brazil, followed by Singapore and the UK.
More Than Recognition
The Aurora Tech Award goes beyond celebrating entrepreneurial achievements. It provides female founders with mentorship, fundraising guidance, pitch preparation support, and access to PR and investor networks. These resources are designed to help entrepreneurs scale their ventures and drive meaningful impact.
The finalists for the award will be announced in February 2025, with winners honored at a global ceremony later in the year.
For more details on the Aurora Long List, visit the official website.