Last Wednesday we’ve celebrated International Women's Day with a breakfast brainstorm at Antler’s office in Amsterdam.
With regards to the international #IWD2025 theme “Accelerate Action”, we’ve discussed strategies, resources and activities that positively impact female founder’s advancement. Particularly, how we can identify female founders earlier in their founding journey and how we can support them better during their founding journey.
After analyzing all the ideas and post-its, we’ve identified 7 categories:
1️⃣ Early Identification & University Partnerships – Collaborate with universities, incubators, and student venture programs to find female founders early and support them throughout their journey.
2️⃣ Stronger Founder Communities – Create networks where female founders can share ideas, pitch decks, and receive peer support.
3️⃣ Targeted Events & Programs – Organize female-focused events, accelerators, and educational programs to help women navigate commercialization, fundraising, and scaling.
4️⃣ Mentorship & Peer Matching – Pair early-stage female founders with experienced female entrepreneurs and match aspiring founders with teams that have ideas.
5️⃣ Honest Feedback & Education – Provide transparent guidance on funding, business growth, and alternative financing options beyond venture capital.
6️⃣ Cultural Shift in Venture Capital – Train investors to recognize bias, adopt a different approach when assessing female founders, and rethink investment criteria.
7️⃣ Better Access to Funding – Create dedicated programs and funding opportunities to help female-led startups gain momentum faster.
Female founders are out there. We just need to find them earlier, support them better, and invest more consciously. 🌱💸
Thanks everyone for your input!
Alexandra Hörndl Myrthe van der Erve Job Wever Sophie Heijenberg Erica van Eeghen Lotte Witbreuk Maud Vermeulen
#WomenInVC #FemaleFounders #InvestingInWomen #VentureCapital
