European female entrepreneurs gathered in Tallinn

As part of the recently concluded startup conference Latitude59, a meeting focused on promoting female entrepreneurship, titled “Female Founders Summit by Womenture: Let’s Woman up the Business!”, brought together participants from across Europe. The event aimed to promote female entrepreneurship and provide a platform for women to share their ideas and experiences.

Womenture is an initiative with a mission to encourage women to engage in entrepreneurship. Currently, only 15% of European startups are founded by women, and a mere 1% of investments in the startup sector go to companies founded by women. Womenture aims to change this situation by offering training, events, and mentoring sessions that empower women in the business world.

The Womenture pre-accelerator program received hundreds of applications from 39 countries, from which 20 early-stage startups were selected. These teams underwent an intensive seven-week program, culminating in five teams presenting their ideas at a pre-event for Latitude59.

Three of the teams in the program focus on the possibilities of artificial intelligence: Bulgarian startup Application Mastery uses AI to help students apply to international study programs, Czech Vetee.ai offers AI-based veterinary advice to pet owners, Dutch Denning simplifies the reading of court decisions for law students. In addition, Portuguese OceanCare provides biocide-free solutions for ship hull protection, and Estonia-based JobBuddy app connects job seekers with employers who value their unique skills and lifestyles.

There was also a #IAmRemarkable workshop initiated by Google, which encourages people to share their achievements. The workshop highlighted the importance of showcasing one’s achievements for gaining confidence and career success, especially among women. Self-promotion is often seen negatively due to established gender roles and norms. However, research shows that highlighting one’s achievements increases confidence and helps in climbing the career ladder.

Keynote speaker, investor Kristi Saare, emphasized the importance of financial issues for a budding startup and the significance of founders having financial knowledge. She noted that financial competence is critical for both the survival of the company and attracting investments.

Participants also received an overview of the Estonian e-residency program, and Startup Estonia shared success stories and opportunities in the Estonian startup sector. The day ended with a panel discussion featuring CARÁ founders Carina and Keiro Vantsi, who stressed the importance of partnership both in work and personal life.

The Womenture project continues its mission to create a more inclusive startup ecosystem for women and looks forward to participation in future events and workshops. The project is implemented by the Tehnopol Science and Business Park, together with partners Design Terminal (Hungary), SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator (Germany), and DEX IC (Czech Republic).