Welcome to the Startup 360 with Kayla Medica and guest cohost Cat Long from climatetech startup Trace. Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and this year’s theme is “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment. This week’s episode explores the challenges women face as founders, from funding to parenting and the self-doubt you can feel… Read more »
Imagine having a groundbreaking business idea that could change lives, but every time you seek funding, you hear: “It’s too early,” “Come back when you have traction,” or worse, “Prove yourself first.” This is the reality for countless women entrepreneurs across Australia and Asia. Women have different financial needs to men, however most financial products… Read more »
The best of Indonesia’s SheHacks startup program has arrived in Sydney, with five leading female founders from Jakarta ready to meet with government, industry leaders and investors to explore opportunities for transnational collaboration and mentorship. Sponsored by the Australia Indonesia Institute (AII), and Indonesian telco, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, the ‘ SheHacks validation tour’ marks an… Read more »
FB10X, an angel investor syndicate comprised of seasoned executives from leading Australian companies, has announced its latest investment in Heatseeker, a pioneering market experiment platform designed for fast-growing businesses. This investment underscores FB10X’s commitment to backing innovative startups and fostering a more equitable entrepreneurial landscape. Heatseeker co-founder Kate O’Keeffe expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership,… Read more »
LinkedIn News Australia recently interviewed me about the underrepresentation of women in the startup ecosystem. At first glance, the statistics paint a bleak picture; according to the Q3 Cut Through Venture report, only 4% of total capital raised in Australia went to female-only founded teams, and just 13% to female co-founded ventures. These dismal numbers… Read more »
Jessica Baird-Walsh has founded two startups, and is an angel investor and advisor, so she knows the path ahead for women founders all too well. And that’s why she decided to to something about it, launching Capital X – a free, community-driven network of startup and tech professionals committed to supporting women founders to fund… Read more »
In the world of venture capital, numbers tell a story, but rarely the full story. When I recently shared thoughts on LinkedIn about gender equity in Australian VC, the flood of DMs revealed a stark truth: we’re grappling with a more complex issue than simple statistics can convey. It’s time to look beyond the numbers… Read more »
Twelve startups – with 10 having female founders – have been selected for the NSW government-backed Techstars Sydney accelerator. Artificial intelligence features heavily in the cohort, which spans health to sustainable fashion, parenting and support for women entrepreneurs, including Jamie, led by two female founders, which is developing an AI companion for women to assist… Read more »
Talk is cheap when it comes to backing women in tech. But the surprising thing is that investing in them isn’t that expensive. Accelerator and investor Startmate, winner of Startup Daily’s Best in Tech Investor of the Year, has supported more than 800 women through its Women Fellowship programs over the last four years and… Read more »
The She Loves Tech Oceania Regional Pitch Finals is on in Melbourne this Monday and is set to be a landmark event, showcasing some of the most innovative women-led and women-impact tech startups from across the Oceania region. As the world’s largest community and acceleration platform dedicated to closing the funding gap for women in… Read more »
The axing of the Boosting Female Founders program this year has left a vacuum in dedicated federal funding for women. Let that sink in! As a long time senior policy adviser, advocate and mentor to many diverse female founders, I know the Government has missed something critical – how are we going to boost female… Read more »
The federal government’s Boosting Female Founders (BFF) grant program was secretly killed off in the federal budget, with only two-thirds of the $52 million allocated spent. The program’s end with $17 million still in the kitty was reportedly the result of an internal review by the federal Department of Industry, Science, and Resources (DISR) that… Read more »
The award-winning US documentary Show Her The Money, about venture funding for female founders, will have its Australian premiere later this month, with screenings in Sydney and Melbourne. The film is being presented by SheBacks.Me, a community organisation which has emerged out of SheEO to support Australian female founders and investors to close the gender… Read more »
At every conference, on every panel, year after year, the same tech leaders ponder the same question: Why don’t more women receive venture capital funding? The participants stroke their chins and furrow their brows. Perhaps, they muse, it’s due to societal gender norms that discourage women from pursuing entrepreneurship. Maybe there’s a lack of access… Read more »
Press Play is a pre-accelerator program for women looking at stepping outside their corporate, scaleup or startup jobs to become a startup founder. It’s designed to take them from employee to entrepreneur in 12 weeks. Thanks to the support of LaunchVic and several other supporters there are 100 scholarship, valued at $4,700 each, available for… Read more »
The Queensland government has startup grants worth up to $200,000 up for grabs 
Square Peg-backed cleaning products startup Zero Co is shutting down 
Eye Thy with my AI: Australian Radio Network digitises diversity with an artificially generated Asian female presenter 
12 startup festivals and events you need to know about this year 
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