We are thrilled to share the results of our research into the 2023 startup funding landscape in the DACH region, a joint project with Female Founders and the Vienna Business Agency.  Download the Report here! Key Findings: In 2023, the total funding volume in the DACH region declined by 36.1% to 9.5 billion EUR across 1,605 deals. Public funding was crucial, with every 7th funding round being a grant. Early-stage investments dominated, with 31% seed funding and 13.6% pre-seed. Vienna, Berlin, and Zurich are central hubs for startup activity. In Austria, 57% of funding rounds were clo ..read more

3 June 2024, Vienna – Female Founders, a leading advocate for equity in Europe’s Tech and Innovation space, has released their Rising Startups Report, featuring the best 30 gender-diverse startups from over 250 applications judged on the basis of scalability, and positive impact Download the Top 30 Report Now The Importance of Spotlighting Gender-Diverse Teams With 75% of funding rounds going to male-only teams and just 3% of capital raised going to women-only teams, it is clear that change is due. One of the ways that we tackle this at Female Founders is by offering a platform and a sp ..read more

After a competitive scouting period, we are thrilled to finally reveal the 6 startups joining our Grow F progam. They are transforming data, innovating development, improving accessibility, revolutionizing supply chains, and more! Why we chose a SaaS Cohort (again) –  Software as a Service (SaaS) as a business model is attractive and is often praised as the future of innovation. Investors love SaaS for its rapid scalability and data-driven AI learning models, low code based tech, deeptech and more. Offering creative, efficiency-driven solutions to customers, and a growth friendly busine ..read more

Gesamtwert der Investitionen in österreichische Start-ups sank 2023 um 32 Prozent von 1,021 Milliarden Euro auf 695 Millionen Euro; Anzahl der Finanzierungsrunden stieg dagegen um 22 Prozent von 151 auf 184 Nur bei 16 Prozent der Finanzierungsrunden ist zumindest eine Frau im Founding Team vertreten – noch weniger als im Vorjahr Bei den Neugründungen liegt der Anteil der Female Start-ups in Österreich bei 36 Prozent Neun von zehn in Österreich investierte Euros gehen wie im Vorjahr an rein männliche Gründungsteams  Nur 29 der 335 Gründer:innen mit Investment 2023 sind Frauen – knapp n ..read more

We are thrilled to announce the call for startups to pitch at the upcoming Lead Today. Shape Tomorrow. 2024 Conference (#LTST24). Apply by April 12th for the Startup Pitch Track Showcasing Gender-Diverse Startups in Pre-Seed and Seed Categories 12 gender-diverse startups in the pre-seed and seed categories – 6 from each category will take the main stage at #LTST24 and pitch to startups, investors, and business leaders. Startups will face off, ranked by judges from leading VCs, and receive spotlight and visibility. Plus the two winning startups will take home prizes, thanks to ecosystem ..read more

Lisa-Marie Fassl and Nina Wöss are proud to announce yet another investment of their Fund F VC, the European venture fund that backs gender-diverse founder teams. From the perspective of our very own Fund F by Female Founders, “We knew from our first interaction that Anastasia and the team are dreaming big. We couldn’t have found a better founder-market fit at this early stage. It was clear that Sirius is an essential- must-have solution to support the transition to a low carbon world” – Nina Wöss, Managing Partner, Fund F. Sirius is reshaping the metals and mining industry with its inn ..read more

In the ever-evolving landscape of business and technology, time and time again, it is innovation that continues to drive the ecosystem forward. Today, as we groove into the new year, we can FEEL the excitement, especially since this week marks the kickoff of our latest batch of startups ready to revolutionize the B2B sphere. What they can expect from the next 5-weeks: ? a tailored preparation program for their upcoming VC round, ☝️ interactive online workshops led by industry experts and VC investors, ? and an exclusive in-person networking event with investors in Munich end of February Join ..read more

Product manager roles have increased in the last several years, especially in Europe where the demand for product related roles have risen by 43%. Product management skills are also relevant across different areas and industries, ultimately being a great asset to those aspiring to reenter the workforce, seeking a career change, or starting their own company. This is why the Kimolian Academy was created: to help empower women from any background to get into product management in order to create tech-enabled products with a positive impact.  Leading by example  Eleni Lialiamou is a pr ..read more

The goal of LTST has always been bringing together innovation leaders from the European startup & tech ecosystem to change the game, not the players. In order to do that we came up with focus areas that guide the content of the conference, creating an environment to get inspired, think outside the box and solve problems to create a more inclusive future – together. We’re already keen on bringing the next edition of LTST to life in June. In the meantime: let’s explore the diverse and impactful focus topics that will shape the discussions at LTST24. Tech Trends At the core of our progr ..read more

In a rapidly changing world, the need for both resilient and innovative teams is more crucial than ever. But the key question on everyone’s mind is: how do we build our teams up to this? Easy – looking through the DEI lens when it comes to the recruitment process. Sounds great, and in practice it is! Inclusive recruitment processes enable individuals with diverse perspectives; experiences; and skills to enter your teams – which ultimately develops innovative ideas; solve complex problems; and improve employee engagement & retention. At Inclusive Minds, we are dedicated to assisting compan ..read more