Village Capital, in collaboration with Standard Chartered US, announced the selection of Giving Credit and Imera to receive grants totaling USD 25,000 each. This funding supports their operations as part of the US Women in Tech Accelerator program.
The initiative gathered a cohort of ten women-founded startups, each developing solutions to advance economic mobility and equitable access to essential services for women, families, and historically underserved communities across the United States. During the program, participants received support to scale their businesses, amplify their impact, and foster inclusive job creation in their communities.
Ashley Sherwin, Co-Founder of Giving Credit, stated, “What made this experience truly unique wasn’t just connecting with other female entrepreneurs and learning about their companies – it was learning to think like an investor as we assessed one another. I’m humbled and honored that this incredible group of women sees Giving Credit as an investable company.”
The participating startups evaluated each other through an investor lens, utilizing eight specific investment categories based on Village Capital’s venture investment levels. This methodology enables entrepreneurs to determine funding recipients based on each company’s progress, potential, and vision for impact. Studies indicate that this peer-selection approach has been effective in broadening capital access for entrepreneurs and in predicting future performance more accurately than conventional impact investment funds.
Mandy DeFilippo, CEO of Standard Chartered US and Americas, remarked, “We are proud to congratulate the two startups selected as winners of the inaugural Women in Tech Accelerator program. At Standard Chartered, we believe inclusion is a catalyst for innovation and sustainable growth, and a key source of long-term competitive differentiation. Our partnership with Village Capital and its commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs reflects our shared commitment to expanding access to opportunity. This initiative aligns with our broader efforts to lift participation in the economies we serve by supporting inclusive innovation and helping to close capital gaps. Together, we’re backing founders who are driving real-world impact and shaping a more equitable and resilient future.”
Giving Credit, based in Malden, Massachusetts, facilitates peer-lending transactions, enabling lending and borrowing among friends and family through social networks to expand access to mainstream credit. Imera, located in New York, New York, serves as a platform for over 40 million immigrants in the US, providing personalized AI-driven guidance and streamlined access to essential services such as banking, housing, legal, and healthcare.
The US Women in Tech Accelerator is one of several initiatives under Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers program in the Americas. Other programs include partnerships with Upwardly Global, Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), and Youth Business International. To date, Futuremakers programs in the Americas have supported over 2,500 individuals through skills development, entrepreneurship, and employability training.
Village Capital is an organization focused on supporting entrepreneurs who are building solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges. Since 2009, Village Capital has supported nearly 1,800 startups that have collectively raised over USD 5 billion in investment capital. It has made more than 150 investments through its affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 110 peer-selected companies. Additionally, its Abaca web app provides tools for entrepreneurs, entrepreneur support organizations, and capital providers, with its Capital Explorer feature assisting founders in identifying appropriate funding options.
Standard Chartered is an international banking group with a presence in 53 markets. Its US operations, dating back to 1902, focus on financial institutions and select corporations, facilitating trade and investment flows between the Americas and Asia, Africa, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
