inDrive launches Aurora Ventures to support women founders in emerging markets – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

KATHMANDU, MAY 27

inDrive has launched a new investment initiative, Aurora Ventures, aimed at addressing the funding gap faced by women entrepreneurs in emerging markets, including Nepal and South Asia.

The company announced the launch following the conclusion of the 2026 Aurora Tech Award held in Santiago, Chile, where women founders from emerging economies were selected among the top 10 finalists from a record 3,400 applicants.

According to inDrive, Aurora Ventures is an early-stage investment programme designed to support women-led startups in regions including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

The programme plans to invest between 180,000 and 250,000 US dollars in women-led businesses at pre-seed and seed stages. It aims to provide funding, mentorship, investor access and operational guidance to startups that are often overlooked by traditional venture capital firms.

A recent Aurora research study involving more than 900 founders across 127 countries found that women entrepreneurs continue to face systemic barriers and stricter evaluation standards in venture funding, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Head of Aurora Ventures Isabella Ghassemi-Smith said the initiative was launched based on the belief that women founders represent one of the most undervalued opportunities in venture capital.

Chief Growth Businesses Officer at inDrive Andries Smit said the company saw similarities between its own early struggles and the challenges faced by women founders in emerging markets today.

The 2026 pilot programme will focus on building an initial investment portfolio before transitioning into a formal investment fund structure.

The Aurora Tech Award, launched in 2021 and powered by inDrive, supports women technology entrepreneurs through funding opportunities and global networking platforms.