Competitions
She Loves Tech
Overview
She Loves Tech runs a global competition and acceleration platform for women and technology. Startups apply through a single call, are screened by a global team, and shortlisted companies pitch to local panels before regional semifinals; regional winners join a global final summit with a bootcamp, workshops and investor sessions. The competition is open to companies led by women and to companies whose product clearly benefits women, and the organisers describe the platform as the largest of its kind. Judging weighs market opportunity, traction, scalability, innovation and the founder team.
Who it's for
It suits early-stage companies with a product and some evidence of use, where a woman holds a founding or leadership role, or where the product addresses a problem women face. Applicants need a business, not a proposal: the screening criteria include traction, scalability and team quality. Solo founders and small teams apply, and the programme assumes you are building toward investment rather than looking for publicity.
What you get
Finalists get structured mentoring before the regional round, then a week of workshops, panels and investor access around the global summit. The value is in the preparation and the room: a screened pool of founders, mentors and funds that already work with women-led companies. Alumni point to the network more than the stage. Terms, prizes and what each stage covers are published by the organiser each cycle, so read them rather than relying on previous years.
How to apply
Apply through the competition's application link while the call is open, submitting your company, traction and team. A global screening team shortlists companies per market against published criteria. Shortlisted teams present to a local judging panel, and the strongest advance to regional semifinals, where mentoring is available beforehand. Regional winners are invited to the global final, which combines a bootcamp with a pitch in front of investors and corporates. Semifinal formats vary by location, online or in person, so confirm your market's arrangement with the organiser.
Timing
Annual. One cycle runs from applications opening through screening, local pitches, regional semifinals and a global final, and the organisers publish the calendar each year. The sequence is stable but the months move, so confirm the current call and your market's regional date on the official competition page.
How to stand out
Answer the screening criteria directly: market size, traction, scalability, innovation, team. Put the woman-led or women-impact case in the first paragraph rather than assuming the reader infers it. Bring numbers you can defend, because regional judges often know your market. Use the mentoring before the semifinal to fix the weakest slide, not to polish the strongest one, and prepare an investor version of the pitch, since the final is attended by funds.
FAQ
Does the founder have to be a woman?
Not necessarily. The competition covers women-led startups and startups whose product or service clearly benefits women; check the current eligibility section on the competition page, since the wording and any category rules are updated each cycle.
Is the programme only for Asian startups?
No. It runs regional rounds across many markets and a global final, though the organisers are Asia-based and a large share of rounds sit in the region. Check the current regional list to see whether your market has a round this cycle.