The TiE Women Asia Summit 2026 brought together 29 women-led startups from across Asia for a three-day gathering in Hyderabad, hosted by TiE Hyderabad from 24–26 September 2026. The summit combined intensive learning, investor access, and a regional pitch competition to support women entrepreneurs across the continent.
In this article, you’ll find the full breakdown of the summit’s programming, key sessions, leadership quotes, and the ecosystem partners behind the event.
A First-of-Its-Kind Regional Bootcamp
Ahead of the main summit, TiE Hyderabad hosted an Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) bootcamp bringing together 29 women-led startups from across Asia for two days of intensive, hands-on learning. While individual TiE chapters have run bootcamps before, this marked the first time the format was extended across the region.
As a result, founders from different countries and markets were placed into the same room to learn, question, and build alongside each other — a first for TiE’s women’s initiative.
Four Pillars: Learn, Connect, Compete, Explore
The broader summit was structured around four pillars: Learn, Connect, Compete, and Explore. Therefore, the program was designed to help women entrepreneurs build meaningful connections with investors, mentors, and fellow founders while creating pathways for cross-border collaboration and market access.
Summit scale at a glance:
- 29 women-led startups from across Asia
- 25+ TiE chapters represented
- 100+ delegates in attendance
- 50+ investors participating
Bootcamp Curriculum: Where Founders Actually Get Stuck
The bootcamp’s curriculum focused on the challenges founders most commonly face while scaling their businesses. Sessions were led by experienced entrepreneurs, mentors, and ecosystem leaders, covering:
- Business Model & Product-Market Fit
- AI for Entrepreneurs
- Scaling Across Asian Markets
- Investor Readiness & Fundraising
Rather than one-way lectures, sessions were designed to be interactive, giving founders room to apply frameworks to their own businesses and receive direct feedback. Additionally, an AMA session with TiE Charter Members gave founders informal access to experienced entrepreneurs who had navigated similar scaling challenges.
Beyond the Sessions: Informal Learning Moments
Equally valuable were the informal moments built into the schedule — shared meals, campus walks, and unstructured networking time. These moments gave founders space to exchange notes with peers facing similar challenges in different markets.
For many participants, these peer conversations extended the value of the formal sessions, surfacing practical, market-specific insights founders could carry back to their own businesses. The bootcamp was hosted at Woxsen University, a business school in Telangana that served as the program’s knowledge partner.
Connecting Founders with Investors
A key focus of the summit was creating meaningful opportunities for founders to connect with investors and ecosystem stakeholders. With over 50 investors participating, the summit facilitated conversations around fundraising, business growth, partnerships, and market opportunities.
The Networking Gala Dinner on 25 September, hosted in collaboration with HEEC, brought together women founders, investors, TiE leaders, and ecosystem partners for an evening of conversation. The evening also featured a fireside conversation with Priyanka Chigurupati, Executive Director, Granules India Limited, moderated by M V Reddy.
The TiE Women Asia Finals
The summit culminated in the TiE Women Asia Global Semi-Finals Pitch Competition on 26 September, where shortlisted women founders pitched their businesses before a jury across four tracks. Founders presented their ventures, business models, growth journeys, and future plans as part of the competition.
What Leadership Had to Say
Murali Kakarla, President of TiE Hyderabad, described the TiE Women Asia Summit as more than a single event. He explained that it represents a complete journey for women founders — from sharpening business fundamentals to pitching in front of regional investors. According to Kakarla, the goal was to build something that genuinely strengthens women-led businesses for the long run, not just celebrate them for a day.
Sakthi Chevuturi, Core Committee Member of TiE Women Hyderabad, reflected on the energy created by bringing 29 women founders from across Asia together to learn from one another. She noted that this proves the talent that exists when the right platform is created, while expressing hope that women and men founders will eventually receive equal access, support, and recognition as a default.
A Collaborative Ecosystem Effort
The summit was hosted by TiE Hyderabad, with Woxsen University serving as Knowledge Partner. The event was further supported by ecosystem and event partners including HEEC, Xtovia, KOTAS Foundation, and Tralamo.
In short, this collaborative structure reflects the collective effort of TiE chapters, mentors, investors, and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem to expand opportunities for women founders across the region.
About TiE Women
TiE Women is a global initiative of TiE focused on supporting women entrepreneurs through access to mentorship, networking, investment opportunities, and a global entrepreneurial community. Through its programs, TiE Women works to create greater visibility and opportunities for women-led businesses across markets.
About TiE Hyderabad
TiE Hyderabad, a chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), works to foster entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, education, and access to funding. The chapter brings together entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, institutions, and ecosystem partners to support business growth across the region.
Conclusion
The TiE Women Asia Summit 2026 marked a significant step forward for regional women’s entrepreneurship, bringing together founders, investors, and mentors from across Asia for three days of learning, connection, and competition. With its first-ever cross-regional bootcamp format and strong investor participation, the summit reinforced Hyderabad’s growing role as a hub for women-led entrepreneurship in Asia.
As participating founders take forward new relationships and opportunities from the summit, this event sets a strong precedent for future editions of the TiE Women Asia platform.
