Aurora Ventures Launches Program for Women Founders in Nigeria

Aurora Ventures is set to launch an early-stage investment program designed to address the funding gap for women founders, with a focus on Nigeria as a priority market. This initiative follows the successful conclusion of the 2026 Aurora Tech Award held in Santiago, Chile, where Nigerian entrepreneur Adeola Ayoola Famasi was recognized as one of the top 10 finalists out of 3,400 applicants.

The program aims to leverage data from the Aurora Tech Award, which has seen applications increase nearly 30 times since 2021, highlighting persistent market inefficiencies that undervalue and overlook women-led businesses in regions such as MENA, Africa, and Latin America. Isabella Ghassemi Smith, head of Aurora Ventures, stated that the program is built on the conviction that women founders are often overlooked for venture capital opportunities, despite demonstrating the ability to build rigorous businesses that can attract institutional capital.