Aurora Ventures has launched a new investment programme aimed at supporting women founders across emerging markets, as concerns persist over funding gaps and limited access to capital for female entrepreneurs.
Backed by inDrive, Aurora Ventures will focus on pre-seed and seed-stage startups led by women, with investments ranging from US$180,000 to US$250,000, equivalent to about RM846,000 to RM1.18 million.
The initiative builds on insights gathered over five years through the Aurora Tech Award and comes as Malaysia’s startup ecosystem continues to expand across sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and digital services.
According to the programme, women founders continue to face challenges in securing institutional funding despite demonstrating strong business traction and scalable models. Research conducted by Aurora involving more than 900 founders across 127 countries identified issues including delayed access to capital, less favourable valuation terms and what it described as “competence scepticism” towards women-led ventures.
Head of Aurora Ventures Isabella Ghassemi-Smith said the programme was established after observing a recurring pattern of women entrepreneurs building high-quality businesses but reaching institutional investors later than their male counterparts.
The launch follows the conclusion of the 2026 Aurora Tech Award in Santiago, which attracted a record 3,400 applications from women founders across emerging markets.
Aurora Ventures said its 2026 pilot phase will focus on building an initial portfolio while providing capital, mentorship and access to global investor networks to help founders scale their businesses and prepare for future fundraising rounds.
The programme also highlighted that women account for about 40% of Malaysia’s technology workforce but remain underrepresented in leadership positions and high-growth sectors, underscoring the continued challenges faced by female entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses.
