Did you know that companies with boards comprising a significant proportion of women achieve up to 50% higher profits (McKinsey, 2021) and are more likely to create user- and socially-oriented innovations (Deloitte, 2020)? Women play a crucial role in driving innovation. They bring qualities like collaboration, attentiveness, empathy, and a cautious approach to risk, enabling more sustainable business decisions. This is particularly important in startups, where risks are often extreme, and balanced decision-making is essential.
Yet, despite their potential, women face significant challenges, including pervasive biases and difficulty raising capital. Last year, less than 3% of funding in Central and Eastern Europe went to female-led startups—a glaring inequality that must be addressed.
Our foundation has long championed the presence and rights of women in STEM. This mission is why initiatives like our partnership with VISA are so important. Through a series of activities with alumni from the Shesnnovation Academy program, we aim to create more opportunities for our incredible female graduates.
Thanks to the support of the Visa Foundation, we can continue empowering female tech startup founders. These women represent a remarkable group of scientists—primarily engineers and seasoned entrepreneurs—who aspire to bring their groundbreaking technologies to market. Many of their solutions qualify as impact innovations, designed to improve lives, which is precisely the type of innovation our world needs.
Recently, we hosted a meeting featuring Chukwudi (Chuk) Onike, Program Officer at the Visa Foundation in Atlanta. It was an invaluable opportunity to discuss challenges, needs, and the current status of startups led by our alumni. We are deeply grateful for this collaborative and inspiring exchange.
We encourage you to follow the exciting work of our alumni:
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Barbara Stolorz, Levelly
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Julia Wilk, neendu
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Anna Korc, Nerfie.ai
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Joanna Szaban, Fake Detector
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Agnieszka Biskupska-Żbikowska, Kuuler
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Ewelina Majcher, WULU
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Anna Gorzkiewicz, DrPaper.ai
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Marta Michalska-Domańska, Kuuler
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Marta Sokołowska-Słuszniak, Reco Fibre
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Magdalena Okrzeja, Aimars
Additionally, we had a meaningful conversation about reducing carbon footprints and designing impactful technologies with Joanna Maraszek-Darul from Plan Be Eco.
We were also joined by Magdalena Olczak-Nowicka, Digital Oceans Ventures Partner—thank you for your valuable contributions. The entire event was organized in collaboration with the Huge Thing team, and we are sincerely grateful for their support.
Looking ahead, we are excited about our upcoming activities focused on supporting female-led startups. Stay tuned, and join us in building a brighter future for women in tech!
