The Female Founders initiative is using a digital map to network companies with female founders, with 600 listed as of the beginning of August 2024. This represents an increase of 20 per cent over the last year, according to Female Founders. This is an initiative by the start-up platform Startup Campus powered by the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Impact Hub Zurich. Female Founders has been supporting female entrepreneurs in diverse ways since its launch at the end of 2020. The Female Founders Map, for example, aims to help them gain greater visibility as well as to facilitate networking. The map is organised into sectors, enabling it to represent potential cooperation partners in areas such as food tech or software. 

Women are still highly underrepresented in the Swiss startup sector, states Vanessa Mohrig, Co-Head of Female Founders. However, there are positive signs, such as the increase in the number of listed companies. Management expert Vanessa Mohrig is responsible for marketing and community building at Startup Campus and is an active female founder herself. “A lot is happening at the moment around women and startups,” she says. There is more on offer for female founders, she continues, and these offers tend to be taken up more often.

For example, the first version of the FF+ Acceleration Programme was very well received, according to Mohrig. Over several weeks, the programme, which is free for female founders, shares knowledge for successful entrepreneurship, in areas such as financing or marketing. The aim is to support female founders in their search for investment. A second round will start next year and has a waiting list currently open for registrations from people with an idea for a startup. 

ZHAW, which is behind Female Founders, is an innovation partner of the Open-i innovation conference in Zurich this November. Open-i describes itself as a Swiss innovation community and dialogue platform for the economy and the science sector. It aims to bring together academic and economic experts. Open-i is organised by NZZ Connect, a branch of the NZZ based in Bern. The conference will take place on 21 and 22 November. Tickets are available now. ce/yvh