…Secures second consecutive victory for Nigeria on global stage

By Uchechi Obodo

Nigerian women are increasingly influential in women-led tech innovation on the global stage.

This is as Founder and CEO of Hervest, Solape Akinpelu, won the 2025 Aurora Tech Award, receiving the grand prize of $30,000 at the global finale in Cairo from April 11–13.

This victory marks the second consecutive year a Nigerian woman has won the award, following Folake Owodunni’s win in 2024.

Hervest is a pioneering fintech platform that empowers financially underserved African women—particularly smallholder female farmers—by providing access to savings, impact investing, and credit.

The Aurora Tech Award, organised by inDrive, celebrates and supports exceptional women tech founders whose businesses are solving real-world problems. This year’s competition received a record-breaking 2,018 applications from 116 countries, double the submissions from the previous year.

Joining Akinpelu on the winners’ podium were: Loretxu Garcia Arraztoa (Chile) – 1st runner-up, Founder of Nido Contech – $20,000, Shreya Prakash (India) – 2nd runner-up, Founder of FlexiBees – $15,000, Laura Velásquez Herrera (Colombia), CEO of Arkangel AI – Finalist – $10,000, Leonie Korn (Switzerland), Founder of UpLeap – Finalist – $10,000.

Each finalist receives access to high-value investors, industry leaders, and global strategic partners, alongside mentorship from inDrive’s global network to help scale their ventures.

Head of the Aurora Tech Awards, Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, said the award is focused on substance and global impact: “The Aurora Tech Award isn’t about representation for the sake of it; it’s about backing the highest-potential founders building real companies. These women aren’t here because of their gender. They’re here because they’re building businesses.” investors should care about.”

Chief Growth Officer and Head of Ride-Hailing at inDrive, Evgenia Matrosova, added: “The Aurora Tech Award is not just an accolade — it’s a launchpad. We’re working to close the gender investment gap and create a strong support system for women building tech solutions in emerging markets.”

This year’s final event was hosted as part of the SHE CAN Conference, an annual initiative by Entreprenelle, a leading Egyptian organization empowering women through education and entrepreneurship. The conference has become one of the MENA region’s most influential gatherings, attracting over 7,000 attendees annually.

Akinpelu’s win is not only a personal achievement but a landmark for African women in tech, signaling a powerful shift in global innovation narratives and affirming that solutions from Africa can lead the future.