TiE Women Program 2026 for Women-Led Startups (Up To $50,000 Equity-Free Prize)

Reach us on

Applications are open for TiE Women Program 2026. TiE Women Program 2026 is a global initiative designed to empower female founders with mentorship, funding opportunities, business education, and international exposure. The program, organized by TiE Global, is currently accepting applications from eligible women-founded and women co-founded startups.

Participants will gain access to a comprehensive entrepreneurial support ecosystem that includes mentoring, investor connections, learning opportunities, and the chance to compete for a $50,000 equity-free cash prize.

About TiE Women Program

The TiE Women Program was established to foster entrepreneurship among women globally by providing access to resources, knowledge, networks, and funding opportunities. The initiative operates under TiE Global, one of the world’s largest entrepreneurial organizations, with a presence across multiple countries and chapters worldwide.

The vision of TiE Women (tiewomen.org) is to embrace, engage and empower women entrepreneurs across the globe – irrespective of the size of the enterprises, origin, standing or background.

The vision is set to be achieved through a solid mission of sustainable and easy-to-adapt programming for all 61 chapters of TiE Global that will track the entire entrepreneurial journey with solid outcome metrics. The program is built on the Pillars of TiE Women: Learning, Mentoring, Access to Funding, Scalability, Safe Space, and Community.

The program is built around six key pillars:

Learning
Mentoring
Access to Funding
Scalability
Safe Space
Community

Through these pillars, TiE Women seeks to support entrepreneurs throughout their business journey, from early growth stages to global expansion.

Benefits

Equity free cash prizes
- $50,000
Mentoring
- by successful entrepreneurs
Investor Access
- From around the world
Networking
- With global participants and TiE members
Global Platform
- to showcase your startup
Learning
- Sessions and events

Eligibility Criteria for TiE Women Program

Female-founded or co-founded startups only. Pitch opportunity provided to female founder/co-founder.
Female co-founder(s) must hold minimum 33% equity.
Companies in business for less than 7 years (registered after Jan 1, 2019).
Preference given to startups actively raising funds. Idea-stage startups do not qualify.

Program Timeline

The TiE Women Program 2026 follows a structured journey designed to help participants develop their businesses and prepare for the global competition.

Stage 1: Applications Open
- Opening Date: March 8, 2026
- The application portal officially opened for women entrepreneurs worldwide.
Stage 2: Applications Close
- Deadline: June 25, 2026
- Applicants must submit complete applications before the closing date.
Stage 3: Chapter Mentoring and Regional Finals
- June 16 – August 15, 2026
- Selected participants will receive chapter-level mentoring and compete in regional pitch competitions.
Stage 4: Global Knowledge Series
- August 16 – September 15, 2026
- Winners and runners-up will participate in specialized training sessions covering: Investor relations, Business strategy, Global scaling and Startup leadership
Stage 5: Semi-Finals
- September 24 – October 7, 2026
- Participants will refine their pitches through expert-led evaluation rounds in the United States and Asia.
Stage 6: Global Final Pitch Competition
- December 2026
- The top women entrepreneurs will compete during the TiE Global Summit 2026 for the $50,000 equity-free prize.