Carol Kyazze Kakooza, a Ugandan techpreneur, is one of twenty-two (22) women entrepreneurs from around the world who have been shortlisted for the 2023 Aurora Tech Awards. Out of over 395 applications received, 22 were shortlisted, with the list including female IT founders. startups that connect communities to vital educational, health, and financial services, and help their fellow entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
“Our partners in the VC space carefully reviewed each of the submitted applications,” said Ekaterina Smirnova, Executive Director of the Aurora Tech Award, in a press statement. “This year’s shortlisted applicants are a veritable showcase of leadership and innovative thinking in using advanced technologies to develop communities and challenge inequality in IT.”
The shortlisted entrepreneurs are from Argentina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nambia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Uganda, and the USA, with a cash prize of USD$30,000 (approx. UGX112,002,600), USD$20,000 (approx. UGX74,668,400), and USD$10,000 (approx. UGX37,334,200) set for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners, respectively.
Carol Kyazze Kakooza, founded aXiom Zorn, a data forensic startup that provides data-as-a-service to connect underserved communities to key services that have the potential to cause a social transformation from the bottom of the social class pyramid up.
“I am incredibly honored to be shortlisted for the Aurora Tech Awards 2023,” Kakooza told PC Tech Magazine.
“At aXiom Zorn, we are committed to using innovative data solutions to bridge the gap between underserved communities and vital services,” she says. “Our mission is to empower individuals and businesses, no matter their social class, with the information they need to achieve their goals and make a positive impact in their communities.” “I’m grateful for this recognition and look forward to continuing to create positive change through our work at aXiom Zorn.”
The Aurora Tech Awards were founded in 2021 by inDrive for women tech startup founders whose projects have had a profound impact on global development. The objective of the awards is to support women in the field of advanced technologies, especially women entrepreneurs around the world who are using technology to develop their communities, with the overarching goal of challenging gender inequality in IT.
Every year, the Aurora Tech Award attracts an increasing number of women IT leaders, many of whom overcome significant challenges in their drive to improve the quality of life in their communities, according to Smirnova.
Smirnova too emphasized that the inDrive team are passionate advocates for gender equality in IT, and this year’s awards not only recognize the efforts of these remarkable founders but support the winners with cash prizes to help them reach their goals.”
The winners of the 2023 Award will be announced at an online ceremony event on March 8th, 2023.
