15 Women Are Transforming Health and Food Systems Worldwide
The Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award, powered by the Impact Hub Network, honours 15 women from Latin America, Africa, and Asia addressing critical challenges in global healthcare and food security.
Selected from 1,172 applicants across 124 countries, this year's winners are advancing innovations from digital health diagnostics and AI-powered health monitoring wearables to climate-resilient farming and circular food technologies - all designed for communities most underserved by today's markets. The 15 winners represent Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Indonesia, India, and Bhutan. Learn more about the 2026 winners: bayerfoundation-wea.com/2026
Asia Pacific
Samara Mahindra - Carer
Pema Lhadon - Shaoulee Food Products
Michelle Arsjad - Aquabloom
Maqbulatin Nuha - Berikan Protein Initiative
Ankita Vijayvergiya - BillionCarbon
Africa & Middle East
Sokayna Bellam - Jodoor
Omowunmi Christine Emmanuel-Ogah - ExCare Health
Funmilayo Ishola - Dehydrator Hub
Beamlak Alemayehu - Medanit Digital Health
Alice Muhuhu - Aurora Health Systems
Latin America
Ximena Ruget Martínez - Glya
Valentina Agudelo Vargas - Salva Health
Sabine Bolonhini - SAS Group
Maria Artunduaga - Samay
Laura Willers de Souza - Masima
What’s next for the 2026 cohort
This year's programme equips each winner with €25,000 cash prize and a six-month accelerator focused on investor readiness: strengthening business fundamentals, sharpening financial and impact metrics, and preparing for high-stakes investor-facing moments. The goal is not just to fund these innovators, but to ensure this support opens doors to both enterprise growth and global impact.
The cost of leaving women out
Women entrepreneurs are building solutions the world urgently needs. Yet in 2024, they received just 2.3% of total venture capital deployed globally. In MENA, the figure stood at 1.2% in 2021. In Asia, 2.4% in 2024. Our own research found that gender-based barriers were the single most significant obstacle reported by applicants.
The economic cost of this pattern is staggering. A BCG report found that if total investment dollars were deployed equally between male and female founded enterprises, global GDP could rise by 3% to 6%, boosting the global economy by $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion.
What happens when women entrepreneurs get funded?
Since 2021, the Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award has provided women-led impact enterprises across health and food security with non-dilutive funding, network access, and a structured pathway to investor readiness. This support is designed in partnership with the Impact Hub Network, whose 130+ locations across the globe provide the infrastructure for scouting locally-rooted entrepreneurial solutions and providing mentorship and networks that capital alone cannot buy.
The results from the 2024 and 2025 winner cohorts make the case: the 30 women funded reached 5.4 million people with better healthcare, contributed to climate mitigation efforts, and generated $8.2 million additional income into rural communities. This shows our annual impact survey that is filled by the winners.
Those are the numbers that result when the right support reaches the right founders.
"These 15 women are already building solutions for better healthcare and food systems. Our role is to accelerate their journey to scale — connecting them to the capital, networks, and support they need to grow their impact faster."