Applications for the Aurora Tech Award 2026 have opened

The selection process for the international Aurora Tech Award 2026, with a total prize fund of $85,000, will take place from August 12 to November 12, 2025.

The Aurora Tech Award annually recognizes courageous women entrepreneurs whose startups are shaping the future of technology by offering innovative solutions with broad social impact. Launched in 2021, the award has become a global platform amplifying voices that often remain in the shadows.

In 2025, a record 2,018 applications were received from 116 countries, including participants from the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region. Four entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan made it into the top 100 strongest after the initial global selection: Aliya Sabitova with the InCare KZ marketplace, Alua Sharishova with the Jolym app, Makpal Ikramova with the Inventivo project, and Marzhan Kabduakhitova, founder of the Ratio platform. In 2024, Asem Tazhiyeva with her Ozim Platform project from Kazakhstan became one of the finalists.

In 2026, the prize fund will amount to $85,000 and will be distributed among three winners: $50,000 for first place, $20,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place. In addition to cash prizes, finalists gain access to a network of investors and partners, support from inDrive experts, and resources for scaling their businesses internationally.

Finalists will be selected by an independent jury consisting of investors and industry leaders. In 2025, finalists came from the HealthTech, AgroTech, EcoTech, EdTech, FinTech, and HRTech sectors.

To apply for the award, startups must meet the following criteria:
— The startup is founded and/or co-founded and led by a woman
— The startup has been operating for no more than five years
— Total raised funding does not exceed $6 million
— The startup has a developed functional product prototype, MVP, or initial customers, and is at the Pre-Seed or Seed stage of development.

Interested participants can submit their applications by November 12, 2025, on the website auroratechaward.com. The top 100 will be announced on December 8, 2025, and the top 30 and finalists will be revealed in early 2026. The award ceremony will take place in spring 2026.