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10th Women Startup Challenge Calls On Innovators To Disrupt The Gender Gap In Tech

March 17, 2020

Co-hosted by Google, this year’s event launched by Women Who Tech will fund women founders who are smashing the status quo.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Women Who Tech, the largest organization that’s combatting the severe lack of funding for women-led tech startups, opened applications for the 10th Women Startup Challeng e to showcase and fund early-stage women-led ventures. Despite the pledges by VCs to increase funding for startups led by diverse founders, the numbers are barely budging. In 2019, only 2.8% of investor funding went to women-led startups, up a mere 0.1% from 2017, according to Pitchbook.

“If we’re going to create products for the masses and build breakthrough technologies that solve the biggest problems, we need to makeshift happen by building a culture and inclusive economy that accelerates women entrepreneurs,” said Allyson Kapin, founder of Women Who Tech. “The funding gap is dire and not really moving – but we’re here to change that.”

Winning ventures will be awarded $75,000 and pro bono services. Women Who Tech will award a $50,000 cash grant and the W Fund is committing a $25,000 investment. The W Fund will also be convening an investor mentoring day where founders will meet one-on-one with several investors to expand their access to VC networks, which have traditionally been off-limits to underrepresented founders.

The Women Startup Challenge will showcase 10 of the best women-led startups to pitch their tech companies at Google in NYC this June 2020. Women Who Tech’s esteemed investor jury includes:

Susan Lyne, President, and Managing Partner, BBG Ventures
Andrew Beebe, Managing Director, Obvious Ventures
Shelly Kapoor Collins, Founder, The Shatter Fund

“The tech industry can’t afford to support diverse founders or else we lose out on innovation. It’s programs like the Women Startup Challenge and allies working together that are needed now to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in tech,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and a member of the Advisory Board for Women Who Tech.

Applications for the Women Startup Challenge are open to tech startups with at least one woman founder or co-founder based in North America.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to invest in one of the great companies taking the stage at the Women Startup Challenge,” said Kate Brodock, founding partner of the W Fund. “We firmly believe that the next wave of $1B companies will be led by women and underrepresented founders. Women Who Tech has been a consistent leader in showcasing that potential and pushing the ecosystem closer to that reality.”