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Among the remarkable list of finalists for The Bicester Collection’s “Unlock Her Future Prize 2025”, one Pakistani startup is attracting attention for its socially powerful tech: Mehfooz.ai.
Among the remarkable list of finalists for The Bicester Collection’s “Unlock Her Future Prize 2025”, Pakistan is making headlines with not one but two women-led social enterprises addressing critical societal challenges: Mehfooz.ai and H2O Air.
The “Unlock Her Future” Prize
The “Unlock Her Future Prize” is an annual start-up competition for women social entrepreneurs, powered by The Bicester Collection as part of its “DO GOOD” philanthropic program. In its third year, the prize is focused on the South Asia region (including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives), where it received nearly 3,000 applications.
The initiative aims to support female founders in launching and scaling enterprises that create a positive social, economic, or environmental impact, particularly those aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The prize package for winners includes:
- Up to US$100,000 in grant funding
- An executive education program from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School
- Bespoke leadership coaching
- Mentorship from global experts and local guidance from the Ashoka network
- Global exposure through The Bicester Collection’s network
Pakistani Semifinalists
Five women from Pakistan were named semi-finalists for the “Unlock Her Future Prize 2025”, an initiative that aims to “identify visionary women social entrepreneurs and support them to launch and scale system-changing startups.”
Khushbakht Shah Jillani – Founder of Mehfooz.ai, a startup using generative AI to combat domestic violence.
Nida Yousaf Sheikh – Social entrepreneur behind H2OAir, working on transforming the air into fresh, pure, and safe drinking water.
Namra Khalid – Founder of Community Climate Design, focused on sustainable and climate-resilient communities.
Dr. Shaista Khalid – CEO of FitHer, promoting women’s health and fitness.
Aiza Salik – Founder of myHisaab, a platform empowering financial literacy and inclusion.
Solving Domestic Violence and Water From Humidity
Mehfooz.ai
Domestic violence cases in South Asia often face delays, lack of trauma sensitivity, and inconsistencies in reporting. Mehfooz.ai is stepping in with a generative AI solution to address these systemic flaws, aiming to deliver quicker, more empathetic outcomes in the legal process.
At its heart, Mehfooz.ai offers a “Danger Assessment Tool,” which is a framework that has been in use worldwide for over 25 years. This tool is designed to evaluate risk and lethality factors for individuals facing domestic violence.
Additionally, they provide competency-based training for legal professionals, including judges and lawyers. This training is engaging and interactive, featuring gamified elements, quizzes, scenario-based drafting, and a focus on recognizing biases and trauma-informed practices.
Talking exclusively to TechJuice, Khushbakht Shah Gillani talked about how Mehfooz came into being. She stated:
“I built this startup on my 7+ years of law practice and 150+ cases representing survivors in court rooms. Despite securing the first judgment on emotional violence under the Sindh Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2013 –the system remains bleak. Why? Because the journey towards securing the above judgment took 358 days instead of 30 days which is delayed. Delayed justice they say, is justice denied but in this scenario it was justice snatched.”
Khushbakht further added: “I am solving this problem for women & children by solving it within the justice system. For young people, it is a lesson in taking a new approach to solving pressing issues that ease the process for a large segment of masses that will lay the foundation of strong institutional infrastructure.”
“It requires delusional optimism,” she advised the aspiring entrepreneurs of Pakistan, “to take this route given the grim circumstances around us. But young people all across the globe are the ones bringing revolution across systems. Take the plunge, be a little more brave and be prepared to defend your stance towards a cause (social, political- national, global).”
H2OAir
H2OAir is a groundbreaking Pakistani social enterprise that’s turning heads with its clever air-to-water technology, creating safe drinking water straight from the humidity in the air. This plastic-bottle-free dispenser needs no external water source, just the thin air around you, making it a revolutionary solution for communities facing water scarcity.
Founded by Nida Yousaf Sheikh, H2OAir is on a mission to lift 25 million people out of water scarcity by 2030. Its focus is on delivering affordable, sustainable, and locally adaptable solutions that make water access equitable and dignified.
Alongside other H2O (Help-2-Others) Solutions, Tayaba & H2O Technologies have impacted nearly a million lives and distributed over half a billion litres of safe water to underserved communities.
H2O Air has also garnered significant interest on the first season of Shark Tank Pakistan. Nida has represented this amazing technology on prestigious platforms such as UN Women 30 for 2030, the Reckitt Catalyst x Serena Williams Initiative 2025, and many more.
The Final Stretch
Both Mehfooz.ai and H2OAir are now among nearly a dozen female-led social enterprises competing for the prize. The winners will be announced on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, November 19, 2025, in London.
Being finalists means these startups will gain critical networks, mentorship, and visibility, resources that often prove as valuable as funding for early-stage social ventures.
