The winner of Unlock Her Future’s South Asia edition will receive a grant of up to $100,000, plus leadership training and mentoring. Ashoka, a global organisation known for backing changemakers and home to one of the world’s largest networks of social entrepreneurs, will provide a 12-month mentorship programme. Academic support will be provided by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Almost 3,000 applicants applied across the region — over half from India. A panel of judges has narrowed the field to 12 entrepreneurs.
Judges include Desirée Bollier, chair and global chief merchant of The Bicester Collection; Rubana Huq, chair of Bangladeshi conglomerate Mohammadi Group, vice chancellor of the Asian University for Women, poet and motivational speaker; Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, founder and group managing director of Sri Lankan logistics company IAS Holdings; and Priya Sigdel, social entrepreneur, TV presenter, and Miss Nepal Earth 2018.
“We are living in a time when women-led startups in South Asia face significant structural and financial barriers, when only about 18 per cent of firms are owned by women, which clearly highlights a gender gap in leadership,” says Huq. She believes Unlock Her Future will allow winners to ensure their concept can become a reality. “It will set the stage for others and prompt them to have the audacity to soar to the skies.”
The startups that made it through to the 2025 final are all advancing initiatives aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: from empowering artisans to promoting equitable access to education and childcare, advancing reproductive healthcare and finding solutions for waste.
“Themes that emerged from this year’s South Asia entries include deep local roots, scalable vision, and technology as a lever for equity and systemic change,” says Khoueiry. “While the themes themselves were not unexpected, the depth, creativity and urgency behind them most certainly were. These women are not just responding to problems — they are reimagining systems. And that is where the real spark lies: in ideas born in South Asia with the power to resonate worldwide.”
The finalists will undergo an intensive bootcamp delivered by Oxford’s Saïd Business School and a live pitch session before the judges. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in London on 19 November, coinciding with Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. The Bicester Collection will also announce the next edition of the Unlock Her Future Prize and the region that will be the focus for 2026. “Our map keeps expanding,” says Khoueiry. “With every edition, new opportunities emerge. I won’t ruin the surprise just yet, but the next market will feel both familiar and full of fresh possibilities.”