$375,000 Funding Unleashed for 15 Trailblazing Women Entrepreneurs Tackling Global Healthcare, Food Security Crises

Mary Nnah

The Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award has announced its 2025 winners, recognising 15 exceptional women from Latin America, Africa & the Middle East, and Asia Pacific who are pioneering innovative solutions in healthcare and food security.

Nearly 295 million people globally face acute hunger, and 2.33 billion live with food insecurity, according to the United Nations and World Health Organisation.

Against this backdrop, the Bayer Foundation’s initiative is a beacon of hope, supporting women entrepreneurs who are driving scalable solutions to these critical issues.

Selected from 1,763 applicants across 117 countries, the 2025 winners are advancing groundbreaking innovations, including AI-powered health diagnostics, climate-resilient farming, community-led nutrition models, and circular economy approaches.

Collectively, the 2024 and 2025 winner cohorts have reached 3.68 million people with better healthcare, supported over 69,000 smallholder farmers, and generated $3.93 million in additional rural income.

“We believe in the transformative power of entrepreneurial power to drive systemic change”, Executive Director of Bayer Foundation, Chitkala Kalidas stated in a press release made available to THISDAY. 

The Award provides each winner with a €25,000 cash prize, a six-month Accelerator Program, strategic mentorship, and entry into a global network through the Impact Hub Network.

The 2025 winners build on this track record, addressing systemic challenges with solutions designed for global impact. Their profiles can be found on bayerfoundation-wea.com.