Launch of EmpoWomen Programme

Sploro, innovation consultancy based in Spain, together with TechUkraine, the Startup Wise Guys accelerator and Business Angels Europe have launched EmpoWomen program.

This project, funded by the European Union through its Horizon Europe Research and Innovation program, seeks to overcome the obstacles faced by women in the field of R&D&I to improve equality in deep tech entrepreneurship.

Despite consistent growth in the business world, women remain substantially underrepresented as entrepreneurs, particularly in Europe. In the deep tech sector, currently valued at €700 billion, women account for only 10% of patent applications, and less than 15% of startups are founded or co-founded by women.

EmpoWomen offers a unique program for scaling up women-led companies with the objective to create an exclusive support program for female founders and entrepreneurs leading deep tech startups from widening-area countries* to grow into tomorrow’s female tech leaders and put women at the forefront of deep tech in the world.

The initiative EmpoWomen is a 2-year program (2024-2025) which consists of a unique acceleration and mentoring program, and includes non-repayable funding totaling 1.125 million euros, prizes and services to 25 women-led deep-tech companies selected through a competitive process from European emerging markets and the outermost regions and Associated EU countries.*

Sploro, TechUkraine, Business Angels Europe and Startup Wise Guys, all together with 8 startup associations will run this innovative program which will be the first to support deep tech women-led companies. The selected women-led businesses will each have access to a 6-month program consisting of a dedicated acceleration and investment readiness support service by SWG, webinars and events, together with specialist training and mentoring from Business Angels, combined with Demo days and direct connections with both Angel Investors and VCs, offering the potential to access investment.

Pre-registration: https://bit.ly/EmpoWOMEN 

*

Widening Countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia. Outermost regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), Canary Islands (Spain). Associated countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.