Quick Summary
- Solape Akinpelu, founder of HerVest, wins first place at the 2025 Aurora Tech Award.
- The award recognizes female tech entrepreneurs from emerging markets.
- Event held in Cairo, Egypt, during the SHE CAN Conference.
- Akinpelu receives $30,000, global mentorship, and investment access.
- HerVest helps financially underserved African women, especially female farmers.
- The award attracted 2,018 applicants from 116 countries.
- Other winners include founders from Chile, India, Colombia, and Switzerland.
- The award is powered by inDrive to support high-impact women-led ventures.
- Akinpelu is also a recipient of the 2022 Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.
Nigeria’s Solape Akinpelu Wins 2025 Aurora Tech Award for Women in Innovation
Solape Akinpelu, founder of the Nigerian fintech platform HerVest, has emerged as the first-place winner of the 2025 Aurora Tech Award. This global competition honors the most promising female tech entrepreneurs from emerging markets.
The award ceremony took place in Cairo, Egypt, from April 11–13, drawing top innovators from across the globe who are using technology to solve real-world challenges.
Leading with Purpose
Akinpelu received $30,000 in funding and access to a global network of investors, mentors, and partners. Her startup, HerVest, was recognized for its mission to close the gender financial inclusion gap. The platform provides savings, credit, and impact investment opportunities for underserved African women — especially smallholder female farmers who often lack access to traditional banking services.
A Vision for Financial Inclusion
Founded with a vision to empower African women through financial independence, HerVest has already reached thousands of users across Nigeria. With the support of the Aurora Tech Award, the platform is now poised for greater growth and global visibility.
“This win puts a global spotlight on our mission,” Akinpelu said. “We’re building financial tools that empower women to rise.”
About the Aurora Tech Award
The Aurora Tech Award is an initiative of inDrive, aimed at accelerating high-impact ventures led by women in the Global South. More than just a pitch competition, it provides funding, visibility, and mentorship to female founders breaking barriers in tech.
This year’s edition saw 2,018 applications from 116 countries — a record-breaking number that doubled last year’s entries. Only ten finalists (the top 0.5%) were selected for the finale, held during the SHE CAN Conference — one of the MENA region’s largest events for women entrepreneurs.
Finalists presented their startups to a panel of investors, operators, and policymakers. Akinpelu’s win is a major boost not only for HerVest but also for Africa’s growing women-in-tech ecosystem.
Other Winners at the 2025 Aurora Tech Award
In addition to Akinpelu’s top prize, four other inspiring women founders were honored:
- 2nd Place ($20,000): Loretxu Garcia Arraztoa, founder of Nido Contech (Chile). Her startup creates nature-based construction materials, offering eco-friendly and affordable alternatives for the building industry.
- 3rd Place ($15,000): Shreya Prakash, founder of FlexiBees (India). She connects experienced women professionals to remote, project-based work, helping them balance career and family.
- 4th Place ($10,000): Laura Velásquez Herrera, founder of Arkangel AI (Colombia). Her SaaS platform uses AI for early disease detection, enabling healthcare solutions without requiring coding skills.
- 5th Place ($10,000): Leonie Korn, founder of UpLeap (Switzerland). She developed an AI-powered medical training platform with hands-on simulation tools for health professionals.
Each winner also gains continued access to inDrive’s resources and mentor network, giving them a strong foundation for scaling their ventures.
Empowering Women in Tech
Speaking on the award’s impact, Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, Head of the Aurora Tech Awards, said:
“The Aurora Tech Award isn’t about ticking diversity boxes — it’s about supporting bold, capable founders building real companies. These women didn’t wait to be invited to the table. They built their own.”
Evgenia Matrosova, Chief Growth Officer at inDrive, added:
“This platform is a call to action for investors to back women in tech. It’s time to close the gender gap and fund the future.”
A Symbol of Possibility
With this recognition, Solape Akinpelu cements her role as one of Africa’s rising tech leaders. HerVest was previously backed by the 2022 Google for Startups Black Founders Fund in Africa, and now with the Aurora Tech Award, Akinpelu is even better positioned to scale her impact.
Her story is one of vision, resilience, and empowerment — inspiring countless women across Africa to dream bigger, build stronger, and lead boldly.
