Women's power in NRW: The startup scene needs more female founders!

Women's power in NRW: The startup scene needs more female founders!

Today the startup scene in North Rhine-Westphalia is meeting to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time: strengthening female entrepreneurship. The proportion of women among start-ups in Germany has fallen, which many find alarming. In addition to the challenges of raising capital, the compatibility of family and starting a business also plays a crucial role. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation, the gender gap in the startup world shows that female founders are significantly underrepresented. This situation is not only unfair, but also untapped potential for innovation and economic development, especially in North Rhine-Westphalia. The State Economics Minister Mona Neubaur is aware of this problem and encourages women to take the step into self-employment.

Hurdles for female founders

The stereotype that only men can conquer the world of entrepreneurship is widespread in the male-dominated startup scene. This is a major obstacle for women, who only make up around a third of commercial start-ups. Carlotta Altringer, CEO of VitrofluidiX, argues that everyone should work to solve this inequality. Particular attention is given to the challenges of family planning and childcare, which are often cited as the main reasons for the low start-up rate. The Bertelsmann Foundation surveyed over 1,800 startup entrepreneurs and 1,000 students in an extensive study and found that solving these problems is often difficult due to a lack of role models and insufficient support in the education system.

The Female Founders Summit

As part of the summit, which has the motto “Promoting, networking and supporting women on their path to successful start-ups”, various programs were presented that specifically address the needs of female founders. The NRW start-up scholarship offers monthly financial support of 1,200 euros and even an extension of three months if a child is born. There is also an advisory service that supports women in setting up a business and in the development phase. Topics such as “Female Entrepreneurship in NRW” were passionately discussed, with prominent voices such as Theresa Voß, Sina Volkmann and Katrin Reuter being heard. The latter gave a keynote speech about realistic strategies to turn visions into reality.

Innovations and award ceremonies

A highlight of the event was the awarding of the “NRW Female Innovation Award 2025” to the most innovative startups founded by women. Overall, startups such as Scobees, Mangolade and Pivio competed for the title. The Düsseldorf startup Pivio secured first place, not only receiving prize money of 1,500 euros, but also a wildcard for the Investment SHEroes program. Mangolade and VitrofluidiX were also able to convince with their sustainable and innovative approaches and took second and third places. This highlights that female entrepreneurship is not only possible but also successful.

In view of all of these developments, one thing is certain: women in the start-up scene are not only an asset, but also an important source of innovation and progress in Germany. It is all the more important that these voices are heard and that they receive the support they need to put their ideas into action. The next Female Founders Venture Summit will take place on March 5, 2026 - a date that many will certainly be looking forward to.

Further information about support for female founders can be found under the initiatives Rhenish advertising sheets, founding NRW and Bertelsmann Foundation.