Oct. 6, 2022, India:

Gender stereotypes in the IT industry are still relevant in today’s society. Recent studies show that investors are hesitant to invest in businesses founded by women. Talented female professionals often hear that a career in IT is not an adequate choice for them.

The purpose of the Aurora Tech Award is to discredit this perception and give a boost to women in the IT sector. Despite the barriers and challenges women face, they are creating unique IT projects such as driverless vehicles, and are making a difference in various fields of study such as medicine and science.

Remaining true to its mission to fight for justice and equity, inDriver has created this award to give women the opportunity to develop and maximize their potential in IT professions.
The goals of the award are to recognize women’s achievements in IT entrepreneurship, to financially support their projects through cash prizes, and to break down gender stereotypes in IT.

How to participate

Any woman founder or co-founder of an IT startup can apply for the Aurora Tech Award. The company must have been founded not more than five years ago.

The application should be submitted in the form of a presentation, including the following information: .

1. The applicant’s key achievements

A short bio detailing the challenges the applicant had to face while working on her startup, as well as a description of the professional qualities and traits that helped her in responding to these challenges with success.

2. The startup’s successes

An in-depth description of the company and its achievements, and an explanation of how the startup contributes to making the world a better place.

3. The reason for the nomination

A comprehensive explanation of how winning the award will affect the life of the applicant, her company, or a particular community.

Applications can be submitted via the award’s website at auroratechaward.com.

Dates and deadlines

Entries should be submitted between October 3 and December 2, 2022.
Finalist announcement date: Feb. 27, 2023
Final assessments and announcement of winners: Mar. 8, 2023

The panel of judges will include prominent female IT entrepreneurs, the winners of last year’s Aurora Tech Award, and key industry experts.

The prizes will be awarded as follows:

First prize: $30,000
Second prize: $20,000
Third prize: $10,000

There will only be one winner per category, and the prize can be awarded to a contestant from any of the participating countries. In addition to the prizes, the entrepreneurs will gain access to the inDriver mentorship program.

“It’s important for us to give women the opportunity to reach their maximum potential in the IT industry. Gender prejudices are gradually becoming a thing of the past, but still persist in today’s modern world. It’s unfair to limit a person’s opportunities just because of their gender. Last year’s experience showed us how many interesting and diverse projects that benefit communities around the world were initiated by women. We hope that this year we will see even more of them,” says Ekaterina Smirnova, executive director of the Aurora Tech Award.