LAGOS, Jan 10 (AGCNewsNet) – The Aurora Tech Award 2025 has unveiled its list of the top 120 female founders from emerging markets, with Nigeria making a strong statement by leading the longlist. Out of 2,018 applications from 116 countries, Nigeria boasts 21 remarkable founders, affirming its status as a hub for female-led innovation and entrepreneurship.

Following Nigeria, Brazil and the United States secured notable positions, while Egypt, Colombia, Kenya, the United Kingdom, India, and Kazakhstan also contributed to the award's global diversity.

The Aurora Tech Award recognizes bold and innovative female founders who are reshaping industries in emerging markets. This year’s record-breaking applications reflect the rising participation of women in entrepreneurship worldwide.

Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, head of the Aurora Tech Awards, emphasized the significance of this year’s achievements.

“The Aurora Top 120 is a first for us this year, created from a three-month open call that attracted over 2,000 applications from female founders. These women are poised to shape the future of their industries and countries, making them the ones to watch in 2025,” she stated.

The 2025 longlist highlights Healthtech, Agrotech, Edtech, and e-commerce as dominant sectors, with Africa leading in agrotech innovations. Despite the rise of other industries, renewable energy startups saw fewer nominations, pointing to an area with untapped potential for growth.

This year’s Aurora Tech Award attracted increased backing from venture capital (VC) firms, with partners rising from 23 to 35, including new participants from Egypt, Brazil, and Pakistan. This trend underscores a growing global interest in female-led ventures in emerging markets.

The award reflects broader global trends in female entrepreneurship. Research from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) shows that women’s startup activity rates rose to 10.4% (2021-2023), up from an average of 6.1% in the early 2000s.

Further, studies like those by BCG reveal the revenue efficiency of female-led startups, which generate 78 cents of revenue per dollar of funding compared to 31 cents for male-led ventures.

With Nigeria taking center stage, the Aurora Tech Award 2025 not only celebrates innovation but also inspires a new generation of female founders to drive progress across emerging markets.

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