Success story continues
Women in the start-up scene: Female founder network "WES" launches model project for the whole of Germany
The Women Entrepreneurs in Science (WES) initiative offers support for female students, graduates and university staff throughout the entire start-up process in innovative formats, workshops and targeted networking. // Photo WES
Looking back: WES as a model of success for NRW
At 18.8 per cent (German Start-up Monitor 2024), women are still underrepresented in the German start-up scene. In order to increase the number of female founders, the umbrella brand "Women Entrepreneurs in Science" (WES for short) uses various measures to break down structural barriers and counteract deeply rooted gender stereotypes. By integrating successful female founders from different fields into the activities of WES, it is shown that women are founding companies in all sectors.
And this is also WES: by building a strong network, organising workshops and events for specific target groups and developing guidelines for needs-based advice that takes into account women's individual goals and life realities, business start-ups are positioned as an alternative career path and access for women is improved.
The so-called same-gender effect remains a central problem: male investors unconsciously favour male founders, which makes it more difficult for women to access start-up capital and financial support in general. As a measure, WES has strengthened the dialogue between female founders and investors in various event formats.
Since its foundation, WES has been shaping the start-up scene at universities in NRW:
- Establishment of a university network with over 30 NRW universities
- Realisation of 125 events and workshops with 1,461 participants
- Central event: "Gründerinnen SUMMIT" with increasing numbers of participants
- Mentoring programme with steady growth - currently 76 mentors in the network
- Development of nine innovative event formats
- Research into 53 international best-practice measures for female founders
- Development of an investor network
- Strong digital presence with over 2,500 followers on Instagram and 2,355 on LinkedIn
"These indicators illustrate the success of the project, which is aimed at creating structures and measures that specifically support women in the development and implementation of their start-up projects at universities," summarises project manager Prof Dr Christine Volkmann from the University of Wuppertal.
Genuine appreciation, serious and needs-orientated offers of help and a team with a passion for the subject - this is the atmosphere that network members appreciate about WES. // Photo WES
Outlook: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs (EWE) to be scaled up nationwide
On 1 March, "Empowering Women Entrepreneurs" (EWE for short) was launched as a model project that aims to roll out the successful WES approach nationwide. With a term of three years and funding totalling € 1.57 million, EWE is being supported by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy (MWIKE).
EWE is focussing on a holistic approach to supporting female founders and is expanding its target groups to include women in particular who are taking over a company as successors.
- Online learning modules & AI-supported contact mediation for the targeted support of female founders and successors
- Train-the-trainer programme for universities to implement a gender-sensitive approach and communication as well as workshops and start-up support
- Internationalisation
- Development of a database of female investors
Conclusion
"With EWE, WES is taking the next big step in raising the promotion of women in start-ups to a new level throughout Germany. The successful concept from NRW is being further developed and expanded in order to attract even more women to entrepreneurship at universities and to support them with targeted offers," emphasises Prof. Volkmann.
About Women Entrepreneurs in Science (WES)
Women Entrepreneurs in Science is an initiative of the University of Wuppertal under the direction of Prof Dr Christine Volkmann and her UNESCO Chair for Entrepreneurship and Intercultural Management. The network is located in the Start-up Centre of the University of Wuppertal and supports female students, graduates and university staff with innovative formats, workshops and targeted networking. WES has established itself in North Rhine-Westphalia as a central platform for women in start-ups and is now providing impetus for a more diverse start-up scene throughout Germany.
More background information on and from the network as well as numerous testimonials from female founders can be found on the website: wes.uni-wuppertal.de
Further links & contact to the network
E-Mail: wes[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de
LinkedIn: LinkedIn WES
Instagram: Instagram WES
Voices from the network
The Female Founders SUMMIT is the big annual networking event: The event puts female founders and their start-ups in the spotlight and creates awareness for the topic of women and start-ups. // Foto Josephine Behr
Ann-Cathrin Sieren, Designer & Brand Consultant boldblend & Senior Creative Concepter BRYCK.COM
"It was the first time I was given the opportunity to mentor a start-up. At the beginning, I asked myself whether I was ready to take on this responsibility. The support of the programme and the WES employees made it very easy for me to start mentoring. Since then, I have already had the honour of mentoring two start-up teams. It is so important to build a network for female founders. It's not always just about getting to know the next angel investor, but getting support at very different stages of the start-up process. Thanks to the WES programme, there is a contact point where such support is provided. From women who would like support and mentees who need help - a real win-win situation. Because both sides benefit from mentoring."
Anne Janser, Founder & Managing Director WorXplorer GmbH
"Through WES, I was not only able to learn knowledge and skills around the topic of founding, but above all I experience the safe exchange space for women that WES creates through its programmes as absolutely valuable and very relevant to my success in the founding process. Particularly in challenging phases of my start-up, I was able to draw on the support, the strong network and the experience of the other female founders and mentors and repeatedly experienced genuine appreciation and sincere offers of help instead of an elbow mentality and competitive thinking. I also find the people in the WES team to be very committed and competent contacts."
Lisa Köller, Start-up Consultant Technology Centre Wuppertal W-tec GmbH
"Within four years, the WES team has managed to make a name for itself and establish itself as a permanent institution in the field of female entrepreneurship. Women who come to us for advice have often attended WES events or have been recommended to us by other female founders. This shows how well the WES programmes are received and supported by female founders."
Lisa Hegemann, Start-up Coordinator Westphalian University of Applied Sciences
"It is so nice to see how WES has created an inspiring community of female founders throughout NRW and how the entire team responds with great passion to the individual needs of women, female founders and universities interested in starting a business. Many women and female founders at our university who are interested in starting a business have attended WES events and have been positively and lastingly impressed by how trusting and inspiring the atmosphere in the workshops was and how safe they felt in the protected workshop setting."
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