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Check out the latest post on the European VC Female Founders Dashboard 💻, offering insights on investment trends for female-founded startups since 2008. Discover how female-founded startups in Europe have been experiencing growth 📈 in venture capital funding, although gender funding disparities still remain 📉. The dashboard highlights hotspots like the UK and Germany for female-led startups, attracting significant investments. Technological innovations 🔬 are shaping the landscape, emphasizing diversity 👩🏽💻 and inclusivity in the tech industry. Explore the key takeaways from the dashboard, understanding the challenges and successes faced by female entrepreneurs 🌤️. Learn how platforms like NextRound.ai can support founders in navigating the fundraising landscape, providing data-driven insights, personalized guidance, and innovative solutions. Take advantage of resources and tools offered by NextRound.ai for a successful fundraising journey. For more information, visit the NextRound.ai blog post at https://nextround.ai/blog/. #FemaleFounders #VCInvesting #EuropeanStartups

💡 Have you heard about Women TechEU? 🌍 Women TechEU is a groundbreaking 2-year EU-funded initiative designed to support early-stage deep tech startups led by women across Europe. Their mission is to create a more gender-balanced entrepreneurship ecosystem because we believe diversity drives innovation. 🌱 Women TechEU offers €75,000 💶 grants and a tailored business development program 📈 to 160 startups over the span of 4 calls. If you're a woman founder or co-founder leading an SME in deep tech, this is your chance to secure non-dilutive funding and expert support! 🚀 🗓️ Next application deadline: September 30th 🌍 Eligible to apply: Early-stage startups from EU or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. (TRL 7) If you're ready to drive innovation and make an impact, reach out to us for more info 🌟 #WomenInTech #DeepTech #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #EUfunded

📣 Let's dive into the European Venture Capital trends that are shaping the future for female-founded startups💻 The landscape for female founders in Europe is changing for the better📈 Women are driving innovation, breaking barriers, and their progress is evident in the data. The European VC Female Founders Dashboard reveals some interesting developments. Here's what we're witnessing: ✔️ A steady increase in VC investment for female-founded startups. ✔️ More and more VC deals are involving female-led businesses. Their potential is being recognized. ❌ However, it's not all sunshine 🌤️ There's still a gender gap in funding, with female-led ventures receiving less than their male-led counterparts. Understanding these trends and delving deep into the intricacies of the European VC Female Founders Dashboard can be a game-changer. For entrepreneurs and investors alike, it’s a treasure trove of insights for making informed strategic decisions and fostering a more equal entrepreneurial climate📍 And this is where NextRound.ai steps in. Our advanced platform is designed to empower founders in their fundraising journey. With custom insights and data-backed strategies, we are equipped to provide female entrepreneurs the leverage they need to secure investment and lead their startups to success💰 Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reshape your venture’s future ☝🏽 Swing by our blog post to discover more 🔬 Link to blog post: https://lnkd.in/gs83UBsi At NextRound.ai, we're all about turning groundbreaking ideas into reality, regardless of gender👩🏽💻 Join us to help close the funding gap. #VentureCapital #FemaleFounders #InvestmentTrends

🌟 “Who runs the startup world? Women!” 🌟 Well, not quite yet, tbh, but this is a trend that is heating up in an otherwise cooling venture capital market: women are making significant strides as angel investors and startup leaders, according to recent data compiled by the University of New Hampshire's Center for Venture Research. 👩💼 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬: Women angel investors now make up nearly half of the market, growing steadily over the past three years. 🚀 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧-𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐫: 46.3% of companies seeking angel funding in 2024 are led by women, up from 28.6% in 2021. 💪 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞: More women angels encourage more women entrepreneurs to seek high-risk capital. 👥 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭: Each angel investment now creates 4.3 jobs on average, up from 3.4 last year. 💰 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: Women-led ventures are breaking new ground, with figures like Fei-Fei Li securing $100 million for AI innovation, demonstrating the potential for women to lead in high-stakes, high-reward ventures. The rise in women angel investors and women-led startups signals a transformative shift in the entrepreneurial landscape. More women in these roles means more opportunities, more innovation, and a stronger, more diverse market. #WomenInBusiness #AngelInvesting #StartupSuccess #VentureCapital #Innovation

🚀 Looking for an insightful #weekendread? Our Head of Incubation, Kseniia Choni, suggests diving into "They Shoot Women Founders, Don't They?" by Dr. Vedrana Högqvist Tabor This powerful piece draws a parallel between the relentless hustle women founders face in the startup world and the grueling dance marathon in the 1969 film "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" It’s a must-read for anyone in the #healthtech space, especially for #women #founders navigating the #startup ecosystem. The article challenges the norm of prioritizing pitch competitions and visibility over building sustainable businesses. Instead, it advocates for focusing on what truly matters—KPIs, growth, and meaningful #investor #relationships. Take a break this weekend and give it a read. 👉 https://lnkd.in/d9nMbGP2 Let's rethink how we support and elevate women-led startups! 💪✨ #visionhealthpioneersincubator #womenintech #startuplife #healthtech #femalefounder #techforgood #innovation #valuable #insights #kpi #berlinerstartupstipendum

🚀 Addressing the Funding Gap: Empowering Female Founders in the DACH Region 🚀 I recently came across an eye-opening article highlighting a significant issue in our startup ecosystem. The report, by Female Founders Fund and the Vienna Business Agency, reveals that in 2023, only 1.5% of funding in the DACH region (Austria, Switzerland, Germany) went to all-female founding teams. This is starkly below the European average of 3%, as Atomico’s State of European Tech reported. Even more concerning is that mixed-gender teams in DACH only secured 6.5% of total capital, compared to 15% across Europe. Meanwhile, all-male startup teams dominated, raising 92% of the capital in DACH and 82% across Europe. (thanks to my Sifted colleagues for bringing that up) 💡 It's time to rethink and act. 💡 This disparity is not just a statistic, it's a call to action. We need to explore and implement strategies to change this status quo. Here are some questions to spark the conversation: ❓ How can we create more inclusive funding opportunities for female founders? ❓ What role can early-stage VCs play in levelling the playing field? ❓ How can public funding initiatives be better tailored to support women entrepreneurs? ❓ What unique perspectives and innovations do female founders bring to the table that can benefit the entire investment landscape? Let's leverage the power of our network to share insights, strategies, and success stories that can inspire change. Your ideas and experiences are invaluable in shaping a more equitable future for all entrepreneurs. 🌟 Join the conversation and let's make a difference together! 🌟 #FemaleFounders #VentureCapital #GenderEquity #StartupEcosystem #DiversityAndInclusion #Investment #DACHStartups #Entrepreneurship I especially look forward to my colleagues: investors, entrepreneurs, and supporters of the startup ecosystem around the globe sharing your thoughts and suggestions on bridging this gap and creating a more inclusive and innovative startup environment. Ideas? Comments?

Female Founders are an important part of the start up ecosystem but only receive limited funding; even in areas like FemTech, where the market value of the global FemTech industry is projected to exceed $103 billion by 2030. In 2023, only 1.4% of total capital investment went to FemTech. In fact, until 2023, FemTech startups founded by all men raised more money per year than FemTech startups founded by all women (though they perform better over time). These are data points that need to get more attention - thanks to Kimberly Klayman from Ballard Spahr LLP to writing an article highlighting this! To learn more, read her article; What female founders need to know about investment and fundraising trends; https://lnkd.in/eZ5KyEUG

👭 Being a female entrepreneur can feel lonely (sometimes) Since Ella and I founded EIRA, we learned that only 2% of global venture capital funding goes to all-female teams. Now, you might ask yourself: WHY? Here are some of our findings from PitchBook's recent publication “Female Founders in the VC Ecosystem”: 🎀💸 Only 15.2% of VC decision makers are female: Various studies show that women in VCs are more likely to invest in women-led teams. Therefore, with a higher number of female VC decision-makers, the number of VC backed all-female and mixed startups is likely to increase. 🎀🌐 Most investments go to male-dominated industries: These include for instance AI, FinTech, or Web3, creating an imbalance for other innovation sectors such as FemTech. 🎀🤝 Networking bias is a thing: Investors usually fund within their networks, creating an environment that is primarily accessible to like-minded people, to the detriment of diversity and reinforcing the gender gap. 🎀📉 Economic challenges are broadening the gap: In response to growing economic uncertainty, VCs are becoming more risk averse, restricting their deployed capital even more to conservative and typical VC industries, which further widens the gap. So, how do we improve the gender gap in entrepreneurship? Stay tuned for our next post! #femalefounders #gendergap #internationalwomensday

🎯On Thursday, I attended an insightful panel at #LUVentureDays on investing in women-led startups. Here are the key takeaways that challenged common perceptions: 💡 The Truth About VC Investment Criteria: "We don't have specific criteria for female-led startups... We're looking at performance and market, not gender." - Verica Poposka, Senior Associate at Accelerace 📊 Current State: • US: 22% women-led startups funded • UK: 20% • Europe: 11% • Luxembourg: 7% • Less than 2% of deal flow for Expon Capital are female-led startups 🔑 Key Success Factors: 1. Awareness of decision-making biases 2. Strong role models 3. Tailored support systems 4. Mixed teams consistently attract more investor interest 💪 Game-Changing Insights: • Female founders often bring higher quality, transparency and better-performing pitches • Mixed teams are increasingly seen as the optimal path forward • Luxembourg's ecosystem is evolving with ~50 women innovators leading the charge 📈 Moving Forward for female founders : The panel emphasized that success will come from: • Marketing yourself as effectively as your company • Connecting with female partners in funds • Training VCs to recognize different presentation styles • Building a stronger pipeline of women entrepreneurs 🎯 The Bottom Line: It's not about gender-based investing - it's about returns, market potential, and building diverse, high-performing teams. #VentureCapital #WomenInTech #Startups #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Diversity #Fit4Start #TechStartup Thoughts from the excellent panel featuring Victoire Laurenty, Jerome Wittamer, Verica Poposka, and Inna Perepelytsya

🚀 What if I told you female entrepreneurs are shaking up the tech scene in the Netherlands like never before? 🌍 1. HERTECH SEALS THE DEAL 💰 HerTech just raised $5 million in seed funding for tools aimed at women entrepreneurs. A female-founded platform tackling a real need in the entrepreneurial space is a major win. 👉 This funding might redefine how women access tech resources. 👉 The investment showcases an increasing acknowledgment of women’s roles in business. 🥳 But let’s face it: When will we stop celebrating these “firsts” and just expect more? 2. FEMMTECH'S QUICK VALUATION 📈 FemmeTech launched and hit a $10 million valuation in just one month! This startup focuses on health tech for women and already makes waves. 👉 Is there finally a shift towards prioritizing women's health across tech industries? 👉 It’s a signal that investors recognize female-driven innovation can be profitable. 💭 However, is this a momentary trend, or are we witnessing a fundamental change in investment priorities? 3. SHECANCODE RAISES THE BAR 🌟 SheCanCode secured $3 million in Series A funding to connect women in tech with mentorship. This platform is crucial for building community and support. 👉 Female mentorship amplifies knowledge-sharing and opens doors. 👉 But why are mentoring platforms still a rarity when the demand is so clear? 🤔 Shouldn't every startup be jumping at the chance to create these networks? 💭 WHAT'S NEXT? The landscape is shifting, but are we keeping pace? As female entrepreneurs, let's not just be passive observers. We should be driving the conversation, demanding better representation, and pushing for the support we deserve. What do you think? Are these wins genuine progress or just temporary hype? What would you add to this discussion? Let’s keep the dialogue going! 👇 🫡 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://femaleswitch.app 🔈🔈🔈 🫵 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 #startups #femalentrepreneur #zerocode #ai