India, 16th December, 2025: The Aurora Tech Award, the only global initiative dedicated to championing exceptional female tech founders from emerging markets, has announced its Top 100 founders to watch for 2026. This year marks a record-breaking 3,400 applications from 127 countries, a substantial increase from the 2,018 submissions received last year.
India continues to stand out as one of the fastest-growing innovation ecosystems within the program. The country ranked among the top 10 globally for application volume and advanced five Indian startups into the prestigious Top 100 list — making India the strongest represented market in APAC for the 2026 cycle.
The broader APAC region features two startups from Malaysia, two from Pakistan, and one from Hong Kong, highlighting the region’s growing global influence in emerging-market innovation.
Key Sector Trends — India at the Forefront of AI, EdTech & Sustainability
Globally, healthtech led the submissions, with 23 startups included in the Top 100. Within APAC, sector strengths reflect unique regional market needs:
- India: AI/ML, EdTech, Energy & Sustainability, AgriTech & FoodTech, Wellbeing
- Pakistan: EdTech, AI/ML, Medical HealthTech, Energy & Sustainability, Gaming & Visual Assets
- Malaysia: Fintech, Medical HealthTech
- Hong Kong: Energy & Sustainability, Productivity Tools enhanced with AI
Pavit Nanda Anand, APAC Communications Lead, inDrive, added: “The strong representation of India and the broader APAC region in this year’s Top 100 reflects the world-class innovation emerging from our markets. Women founders here are not only building powerful technology solutions but also addressing deep-rooted societal challenges with purpose and clarity. At inDrive, we are proud to support platforms like the Aurora Tech Award that elevate these voices and create opportunities for global visibility and scale.”
A majority of APAC entrants,seven in total operate with a B2B or hybrid B2B model, mirroring global patterns. India demonstrates one of the highest levels of enterprise focus worldwide, with 79% of its applications built on B2B models, signaling growing market maturity.
Insights from the open call show that Indian startups are seeking the highest average early-stage investment globally at roughly USD 1.25 million. This exceeds capital expectations from other emerging markets including Kenya (USD 840,000) and Colombia (USD 620,000), underscoring both the scale and ambition of women-led ventures in India.
Among APAC’s standout talent, one was Ananya Grover, founder of HealCycle Wellness (India). Ananya is pioneering technology-driven solutions for menstrual and reproductive health, an area still underserved across many emerging markets. A Princeton University graduate in Computer Science (with honors), she blends expertise in cognitive science, design, and storytelling to create accessible wellbeing solutions.
A classical dancer, poet, and menstrual health activist, Ananya’s TED Talk on fostering period positivity delivered at TED Headquarters in New York, has attracted nearly two million views, amplifying her global impact.
“From more than 3,400 applications, our Top 100 represent the top three percent—truly exceptional founders. They’re building commercially powerful, category-defining companies that solve real problems their communities and markets face. We’re thrilled they chose to apply and proud to spotlight their impact” said Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, Head of the Aurora Tech Award.
Global Innovation Trends
Across the Top 100, several consistent patterns emerged:
- AI remains the strongest enabling technology, especially in healthtech and edtech.
- Increasing numbers of founders are aligning their business missions with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, reinforcing purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
- Emerging markets are increasingly gravitating toward B2B business models, with India, Chile, and Peru leading this shift.
More info on this year’s Aurora Top 100 List is available here.
About the project
The Aurora Tech Award, powered by inDrive, backs the boldest female tech founders in emerging markets. It’s more than recognition, it’s a launchpad. Aurora combines non-dilutive capital with direct access to investors, operators, and a global network, giving founders the connections and momentum to scale faster and go further. This isn’t a competition; it’s a catalyst for the women building the next category-defining companies.
inDrive is a global mobility and urban services platform. The inDrive app has been downloaded over 360 million times, and has been named the second most downloaded mobility app for the third consecutive year. In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive provides an expanding list of services, including intercity transportation, delivery, and financial services. In 2023, inDrive launched New Ventures, a venture and M&A arm.
