The landscape of entrepreneurship and investment, historically male-dominated, continues to evolve. However, women entrepreneurs and investors still face a significant underrepresentation.
From gender biases to limited access to capital, women encounter various challenges in business.
Organisations like EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing, and EIT Urban Mobility are taking proactive steps to bridge the gender gap and promote gender diversity to address this imbalance that stems from deeply ingrained gender biases.
As a result of their collaborative effort, they have created the SUPERNOVAS programme, an umbrella initiative aimed at attracting more women to the entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem.
Statistics on the gender gap in entrepreneurship and investment
Before diving into the details of the SUPERNOVAS programme, it is crucial to understand the context and the importance of the gender gap in entrepreneurship and investment. According to the statistics:
- Only 15 per cent of tech startups are founded or co-founded by women.
- Women-led startups face challenges in raising funding, with all-female teams receiving a mere 2 per cent of venture capital and mixed teams receiving around 5 per cent across Europe.
- Gender diversity is lacking in venture capital firms, with 85 per cent of investment committees composed exclusively of men and only 13 per cent of venture capital partners being women.
These figures emphasise the urgent need to address the gender gap and create opportunities for women to thrive in the entrepreneurial and investment sectors. Having said that, here are seven things you need to know about the EIT SUPERNOVAS programme and its initiatives.
What is the SUPERNOVAS programme?
SUPERNOVAS programme aims to reduce the gender gap in the entrepreneurship and investment ecosystem by offering a range of initiatives and programs designed to empower women.Â
By attracting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) talent, supporting women investors, and fostering a strong community, the initiative aims to create a more diverse and inclusive landscape for women in these fields.
Creating opportunities for female investors through the Women Investment Network (WIN)
The Women Investment Network (WIN) is a platform where female investors, both in venture capital and business angels, come together to learn, grow professionally, access investment opportunities in female-led startups, and expand their network.
WIN provides a supportive environment for women investors to collaborate and learn from each other.
Through online training courses (tailored for two types of female investors), investment forums, and community-building activities, WIN ensures that female investors can access the best female-led deal flow and make informed investment decisions.
Who is it for?
- If you are a junior or early-career female professional in Venture Capital
- If you are (or would like to be) a female business angel
- If you are a female CEO and/or founder, or you work for a female-led startup
Providing visibility to female-led startups through Data Room
The Data Room is a dedicated platform supported by EIT that collects and analyses up-to-date data on female-led startups.Â
This platform serves multiple purposes, including helping investors access curated deal flow, providing journalists with valuable information for reporting on women’s entrepreneurship, and giving visibility to female-led startups.
By publishing detailed profiles, financial data, market mapping, and news about these startups, the Data Room showcases the talent and innovation present in the female-led startup ecosystem.
Who is it for?
- European female-led startups supported by any of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) will be profiled. It includes Climate, Culture & Creativity, Digital, Food, Health, Innoenergy, Manufacturing, Raw Materials, and Urban Mobility.
- Investors are interested in scouting opportunities in those sectors.
- Journalists and publishers reporting on female entrepreneurship.
- Other interested parties.
Training next-gen venture investors through Women2Invest
Women2Invest is an education program aimed at training recent STEAM graduates in the fundamentals of venture investment.Â
The program equips participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue internships or full-time roles in venture capital, startup investment, or corporate investment.
By attracting venture capital firms to include more STEAM women in their work structures, Women2Invest aims to increase the representation of women in venture capital and provide them with valuable career opportunities.
Who is it for?
- Venture Capital and Corporate Venture Capital firms that are interested in hiring VC-trained STEAM women
Empowering female venture capital professionals with Venture Capital Academy
Venture Capital Academy offers two different training programs for female professionals in venture capital at different levels — junior and senior.
The “Raising VC Stars” program targets female interns and analysts with up to three years of experience in venture capital.
The “VC Forward” program, on the other hand, caters to female associates or principals with four to ten years of experience in the industry.
These programs address key topics in the investment process, professional development, and career aspects, providing participants with a holistic understanding of the venture capital landscape.
The academy brings together top-level speakers and coaches, offering theoretical and practical sessions based on an interactive and ‘learning by doing approach’ to bring out the best of each participant.
Who is it for?
- Raising VC Stars: Female interns and analysts in Venture Capital with up to 3 years of experience in VC.
- VC Forward: Female Associates or Principals with 4-10 years of experience in VC.
Supporting female business investors through Business Angel Academy
The Business Angel Academy focuses on training new and experienced female business angels.Â
This program covers various topics such as deal flow, opportunity analysis, due diligence, valuation, negotiation of terms, deal-making, investment documents, diversification strategy, supporting portfolio companies, rounds of investment, and exits.
With this, the Business Angel Academy aims to increase the number of female investors and promote a more diverse and inclusive investment ecosystem.
Who is it for?
Women passionate about startups, innovation, and making a real impact in the entrepreneurial world, both with experience as business angels (any level) or new to this type of investment
Rocket Up: Supporting women-led startups in international expansion
Rocket Up is a program designed to support women-led technological startups in achieving successful international expansion within Europe.Â
This initiative provides startups the necessary support, including resources, mentorship, and guidance to scale their businesses into new EU markets.
By providing customised support and networking opportunities, Rocket Up aims to bridge the gap and facilitate the growth of women-led startups, enabling them to become influential players in the entrepreneurial landscape and serve as inspiring role models for future generations.
Who is it for?
Women-led startups in the early stage that are seeking to expand and scale their business into a new EU market.
Women Leadership Programme: Empowering female entrepreneurs and innovators
The Women Leadership Programme supports, inspires, and empowers female entrepreneurs and innovators.Â
This cohort provides selected participants with a series of trainings, networking events, business coaching, and mentoring opportunities to enhance their personal and professional skills.
Each cohort consists of both virtual and in-person training sessions led by high-profile, experienced trainers who challenge participants’ leadership approaches with inspiring case studies and use participatory approaches to encourage active engagement.
By fostering leadership skills and expanding networks, this program enables women to take on leadership roles and drive innovation within their respective fields.
Who is it for?
- EIC and EIT female (co)founders and managers (CEOs, CTOs, CFOs,
- COOs, CCOs, etc.) who want to strengthen their personal and
- professional skills and expand their network.
- EIC female researchers involved in research projects aspiring to lead
- the transition of their research into businesses
EIT: What you need to know
Founded in 2008, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an independent body of the European Union with a juridical personality.Â
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has three main areas of focus:
- Entrepreneurial education programs that help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset
- Business creation and acceleration services that help startups grow and scale
- Innovation-driven research projects that bring together partners, investors, and experts to turn ideas into successful products.
The EIT (European Institute of Innovation & Technology) is part of the EU’s “Horizon Europe” programme. Its four strategic goals are:
- Promoting open strategic autonomy
- Restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
- Creating a sustainable economy
- Creating a democratic society
EIT has created nine KICs (Knowledge and Innovation Communities) since 2018.
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