Call for Applications:  Cartier Women’s Initiative Science & Technology Pioneer Award 2027 (Up to $100,000 in Funding)

Application Deadline: June 16, 2026

About the Award

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Science & Technology Pioneer Award 2027 is an opportunity for women entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative solutions in science and technology. The award highlights disruptive solutions built around unique, protected, or hard-to-reproduce technological or scientific advances that require significant R&D, a long commercialization cycle, high capital intensity, technology risk, and complexity. The Cartier Women’s Initiative is a global program that supports women impact entrepreneurs across all sectors and geographies. Established in 2006, it has supported over 300 women entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries, providing them with financial capital, human capital support, and social capital access. The Science & Technology Pioneer Award is one of several awards under the initiative, specifically designed for deep tech startups where scientific or technological innovation is at the core of the business.

Award Benefits

Financial Capital Support:

• $100,000 USD grant for each first-place awardee
• $60,000 USD grant for each second-place awardee
• $30,000 USD grant for each third-place awardee

Human Capital Support:

Human capital support is structured into a fellowship program which includes a combination of 1:1 training and collective workshops:

• Leadership communications and media training workshops – Enhancing your ability to tell your story and engage stakeholders
• In-person INSEAD Women’s Impact Entrepreneurship Program – World-class executive education at a leading global business school
• 1:1 training in specific business areas – Tailored support based on your business needs (e.g., finance, marketing, operations)
• 1:1 executive leadership coaching by The Women’s Impact Alliance – Personalized coaching to develop your leadership capabilities

Social Capital Support:

Throughout the program, we strive to highlight the social and environmental impact created by our fellows and bridge connections between women impact entrepreneurs and their supporters:

• International exposure and media visibility – Showcasing your work to a global audience
• Support and mentorship by jury members during the fellowship – Guidance from accomplished leaders and experts
• Access to a lifelong community of 500+ active community members – Connections with fellow entrepreneurs, alumni, and partners
• Ongoing support for the development of the fellows’ impact businesses – Continued engagement beyond the award period

Eligibility Requirements

• Open to women-led impact-driven deep tech startups
• Entrepreneurs across all sectors and geographies are encouraged to apply
• Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply, and every effort will be made to include them appropriately

Ideal candidates are:

• Women entrepreneurs leading startups where science or technology innovation is core to the solution
• Building disruptive solutions around unique, protected, or hard-to-reproduce technological or scientific advances
• Operating in sectors requiring significant R&D, long commercialization cycles, high capital intensity, and technology risk

Application Requirements

To apply, you need to complete the online application form and provide the supporting documentation listed below.

Compulsory Documents:

1. A one-minute video of yourself answering the following questions:

1. What is your motivation behind solving the problem that you have identified?
2. What is the impact you wish to create through your solution?
3. What do you wish to gain from, and contribute to, the Cartier Women’s Initiative community?

2. Your resume – Highlighting your professional background and achievements
3. Your company registration document – Proof of legal establishment
4. Your company capitalization table – Showing ownership structure and equity distribution
5. Professionally prepared or audited financial statements from your most recent two fiscal years
6. Your pitch deck – We are not looking for a specific format; just submit an existing pitch deck that accurately describes the impact of your company. This can be an investor presentation or a product presentation (around 15 pages)

Optional Documents:

• Your company’s competitive landscape
• Three additional attachments of your choice: theory of change/impact framework, impact report, image of product, brochure, press, article, research, etc.

Important: These documents must be submitted with the online application and cannot be sent separately.

Application Process

Click on the link to the application website to apply.

Application Link:  Click here to apply

Why This Award Matters

Deep tech startups face unique challenges that traditional early-stage funding is often ill-equipped to address. These ventures require:

• Significant R&D investment: before generating revenue
• Long commercialization cycles: often years before market entry
• High capital intensity substantial funding needed to reach milestones
• Technology risk:  uncertainty about whether the science or technology will work at scale
• Complexity: integrating multiple disciplines and navigating regulatory pathways

Women-led deep tech startups face even greater barriers, as gender bias in venture capital makes it harder to secure the patient, large-scale capital these ventures require. The Cartier Women’s Initiative Science & Technology Pioneer Award addresses this gap by providing:

• Substantial non-dilutive funding ($100,000 for first place): Grant funding that does not require giving up equity
• Executive education at INSEAD: Building skills to scale complex ventures
• Leadership coaching: Developing the confidence and capabilities to lead through uncertainty
• Access to a global community: Connecting with other women entrepreneurs solving hard problems
• Visibility and credibility: The Cartier Women’s Initiative brand opens doors to investors, partners, and customers

For women entrepreneurs building breakthrough science and technology ventures, this award offers not just funding but a comprehensive support system to help them succeed.

For More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Science & Technology Pioneer Award