UpGreyed Her 2026: $10,000 Equity-Free Grant for Women Entrepreneurs

Applications Open Soon

About UpGreyed Her

UpGreyed Her is a global initiative by Grey, the financial platform for borderless businesses, designed to empower women entrepreneurs across emerging markets. The program directly addresses the persistent funding gap for women-led businesses, which has grown from $1.7 trillion to $1.9 trillion in recent years. Grey views this gap not as a void, but as a “reservoir of untapped potential,” and the initiative is their commitment to helping women-led startups flourish by planting capital that can grow into economic prosperity for entire regions.

What’s on the Offer

This year, three exceptional founders will receive a share of $10,000 in equity-free grants:

• First Place Winner: $5,000
• First Runner-Up: $3,000
• Second Runner-Up: $2,000
  Grey does not take any equity in return; their “gain” is defined as the growth of the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you must meet the following requirements:

• Founder Identity: Be a woman or a co-founder with at least 50% ownership.
• Age & Location: Be between 23 and 40 years old and a citizen or resident of an eligible country in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, the UK, or the US.
• Business Maturity: Have a business that has been in operation for a minimum of three years.
• Business Type: Lead a tech-enabled business that solves real-world problems. Eligible industries include AI, IT, transportation & logistics, agriculture, education, healthcare, construction, energy (renewable & non-renewable), and manufacturing.

Application & Selection Process

• How to Apply: The application portal is not yet open. You can join a waitlist on the official page to be notified via email when applications launch.
• Evaluation: A panel of experienced female judges will evaluate applications based on business viability, innovation, and impact.
• Process: Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a video pitch and may be invited for a brief interview before the final winners are selected.

Program Highlights

• Global Reach: Previous editions (2024 & 2025) received over 2,700 applications globally and supported six businesses across industries like food processing, eco-friendly manufacturing, and logistics.
• Visibility: Past winners have been featured in major publications including Bella Naija, ThisDay, Tech Funding News UK, and Business Day.
• Past Winners’ Industries: Examples include EcoCiclo (Brazil) in eco-friendly manufacturing, Tersley Foods (Nigeria) in food processing, and AutoGirl (Nigeria) in logistics.

Key Notes

• Past applicants who are eligible can reapply.
• Past winners are not eligible to reapply.

How to Stay Updated

For updates on the application opening date, follow @greyfinance on social media and join the waitlist on the official website.

Visit the Official UpGreyed Her Webpage