When it comes to starting a business, women are still in the minority. According to the current Female Founders Monitor, the percentage of women founding start-ups is only 11.9%. Start-ups by female entrepreneurs are on average more successful than their male colleagues. In order to help women to be more successful and more visible in their business start-ups, around 60 female investors have set up a network, which already celebrated its launch with a pitch night in April.
Female entrepreneurs disadvantaged in the allocation of venture capital
According to the management consultancy Boston Consulting Group, start-ups run by women generate 78 cents in sales for every dollar invested – this is only 31 cents for men (external link). What is astonishing, however, is that only around 5% of the teams of women founding a business have already received one million euros or more in external capital (venture capital) – in contrast, this is around 30% of the male founding teams. Nevertheless, the success of their start-up only increases the success of female entrepreneurs rarely trusted. It is therefore very difficult for women to get the capital they need to start a business.
A fund, know-how and contacts should help female entrepreneurs
A network for female entrepreneurs was set up to draw attention to this problem. The “encourageventures” founded by more than 60 investors has target, to make entrepreneurs more visible and to help them to succeed with their own business ideas. In order to achieve this, z. B. a 100 to 200 million heavy fund can be set up from which investments are made. Another focus is on passing on economic know-how. To ensure that female founders always take the right steps, the female investors support the female entrepreneurs with comprehensive knowledge and a large network of important contacts during the founding process.
About the network for female entrepreneurs
The original idea for founding the network came from multi-supervisory board member Ina Schlie when she invested in a well-known HR tech start-up with four other entrepreneurs and business angels in October 2020. In the meantime, 60 other top managers have joined the business start-up investor network famous personalities connected. These include: the former German Economics Minister Brigitte Zypries, Chairwoman of the Diversity Charter Ana-Cristina Grohnert, Douglas CEO Tina Müller, CEO of DB Cargo AG Dr. Sigrid Nikutta and multi-supervisory board member Simone Menne.
Interested female entrepreneurs can apply for upcoming pitch nights, workshops and events at any time via the network’s website (external link).
Financial support for female entrepreneurs
In particular, female entrepreneurs who are starting their own business for the first time need professional support in order to successfully implement the business idea. While networks can help to exchange ideas and make contacts with other female founders, state funding offers an important one financial support. To find out which funding is the right one, you can use our free funding check. In addition, it makes sense to be accompanied by business start-up advice, for which there are also subsidies available (service: search for a consultant).