Women TechEU

Deep tech accounts for over a quarter of the European start-up ecosystem, yet women are largely underrepresented across this industry. To address this gender gap, the European Union introduced the Women TechEU, a two-year EU-funded project supporting women leading deep tech start-up companies from Europe.

The Women TechEU targets early-stage deep tech start-ups founded, or co-founded, by women who hold a top management position in the company and at least 25% of the shares at the time of submission. The company can not have received €1 million or more in equity.

This programme is launching four calls for applications over the span of two years, which will benefit 160 beneficiaries.

The Women TechEU programme offers:

• Financial support to companies of €75k in grant (non-dilutive finance), to finance activities that will accelerate the development, growth, and sustainability of the business.

• Personalised business development programme which includes mentoring, coaching, and targeted training among other options.

Requirements

To apply for Women TechEU support, applicants must meet the following:

• Be a women (Women TechEU supports women in all their diversity. The word woman equates, according to the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), to a cis woman, or a transgender woman who is legally defined as a woman).
• Be a founder or co-founder of an early-stage deep tech start-up, registered and established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country for at least six months prior to the submission deadline and a maximum of eight years.
• Women must hold a top management position (CEO, CTO or equivalent) in the company.
• Women should hold at least 25% of the company shares at the time of submission.
• The company must have raised less than €1 million in equity.

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