{"id":268923,"date":"2026-02-05T12:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T12:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/268923\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T12:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T12:02:11","slug":"closing-europes-deep-tech-gender-gap-women-led-startups-set-to-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/268923\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing Europe\u2019s deep tech gender gap: women-led startups set to scale"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new EU-backed study<\/a> has laid bare the scale and structure of Europe\u2019s gender investment gap, with a sharp focus on deep tech. These technologies will shape the continent\u2019s economic resilience, security and industrial competitiveness over the coming decades. <\/p>\n

Deep tech companies are built on scientific breakthroughs and advanced engineering, often emerging from universities and research laboratories. They span fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced materials, semiconductors, robotics, quantum technologies, climate and energy systems, and health and biotech. Unlike consumer-facing digital startups, these firms usually require long development cycles, specialist expertise and substantial upfront capital before they can reach the market. <\/p>\n

For the European Union, this matters. Deep tech underpins both the green and digital transitions and plays a central role in reducing reliance on external technologies in critical sectors such as energy, health and security. Who gets funded \u2013 and who does not \u2013 directly shapes which technologies Europe will be able to scale. <\/p>\n

Measuring a gap that has long been visible but poorly defined<\/p>\n

The study was designed around two goals. The first was to consolidate data which can measure the gender investment gap across Europe both consistently and transparently. The second was to understand why the gap persists, particularly in deep tech, and what could help close it. <\/p>\n

Gender-disaggregated data exist, but they remain fragmented. Definitions differ, coverage varies by country, and many datasets are not publicly comparable. As a result, policymakers and investors struggle to track progress or design targeted interventions. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have very good visibility in research. We know the numbers for scientists and project leaders,\u201d said Katerina Sv\u00ed\u010dkov\u00e1, Head of the Gender Sector at the European Commission\u2019s DG Research and Innovation. \u201cBut once you move into innovation and venture funding, the trail goes colder.\u201d <\/p>\n

A first step: the Gender Gap in Investments Dashboard<\/p>\n

One of the project\u2019s main outputs is a prototype data repository: the Gender Gap in Investments Dashboard<\/a>, developed by Dealroom. The dashboard brings together data on founding teams and venture capital outcomes across Europe in a single, accessible interface. <\/p>\n

It is not intended as a finished product. Instead, it serves as a foundation that can expand over time, incorporate additional public and private data sources, and offer a more detailed picture of how gender, sector, funding stage and geography interact. The longer-term ambition is to support a shared European data infrastructure on gender and investment. <\/p>\n

\u201cOnce investors start benchmarking themselves, they want to improve,\u201d said Lucrezia Lo Sordo, Senior Research Officer at Invest Europe. \u201cData create peer pressure \u2013 and peer pressure works.\u201d <\/p>\n

What the numbers already show<\/p>\n

Even at this early stage, the patterns are clear. <\/p>\n

Across Europe, startups with at least one woman founder account for just 14.4% of venture capital rounds and receive 12% of total VC funding. In deep tech, the imbalance is sharper still. Around 80% of deep-tech companies are founded by all-male teams, which attract nearly 90% of venture funding. <\/p>\n

Given the capital-intensive nature of deep tech, these disparities have long-term consequences. Early funding decisions influence which technologies survive long development cycles and which fall away before they reach scale. <\/p>\n

\u201cEmpowering women innovators is not just a matter of fairness \u2013 it is vital for Europe\u2019s competitiveness, resilience, and future growth,\u201d said Jean-David Malo, Acting Director for the European Research Area and Innovation at the European Commission. <\/p>\n

Beyond the data: what founders and investors say<\/p>\n

Alongside the data analysis, the project team conducted 81 in-depth interviews and held 12 events across Europe, engaging more than 1,000 participants. Across countries and sectors, similar barriers came up repeatedly: difficulty accessing early and scale-up capital, credibility gaps in fundraising, especially in deep tech, fragmented support systems and a lack of diversity in investment decision-making roles. <\/p>\n

Several founders were blunt about what they felt was missing. \u201cWe don\u2019t need more mentoring \u2013 we need money,\u201d said Maria Teresa P\u00e9rez Zaballos, founder of EndoGene. \u201cMen get funding; women get advice.\u201d This also applies to EU-supported programmes. WomenTechEU, which provides \u20ac75,000 in early grant funding and visibility to women-led deep-tech startups, received very positive feedback. However, in a sector where ideas must be tested and re-tested in expensive laboratories, funding intended to last a year can be used up within a month or two. The next available EU instrument \u2013 the EIC Accelerator \u2013 offers up to \u20ac2.5 million but requires a much higher level of technical maturity. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge gap between \u20ac75,000 and \u20ac2.5 million,\u201d said P\u00e9rez Zaballos. \u201cThat gap is where many women-led deep-tech companies fail.\u201d And that gap, the study recommends, ought to be closed. <\/p>\n

Others pointed to differences in readiness and risk-taking. \u201cMany women wait until they feel \u2018ready\u2019 \u2013 and that delays entrepreneurship,\u201d said Aneta Ozieranska, founder of Oligofeed. The report highlights the importance of earlier, hands-on exposure to entrepreneurship and innovation. Programmes such as HK Unicorn Squad in Estonia show how structured, practical learning in technology and problem-solving can normalise experimentation from an early age. Building on such models, the report recommends embedding entrepreneurial skills and innovation pathways earlier to widen the pipeline and reduce self-selection out well before funding decisions are made. <\/p>\n

Why public investors matter<\/p>\n

The study highlights the role public investment can play in shaping market behaviour. As major investors, EU-level and national public institutions have the ability to influence incentives, standards and expectations \u2013 and to crowd in private capital. \u201cAs public investors, we need to lead by example \u2013 in our teams, our governance and our investment decisions,\u201d said Antigoni Lymperopoulou, CEO of the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments. \u201cDiversity does not happen by accident.\u201d <\/p>\n

The European Innovation Council and the European Investment Fund were cited as key actors with the scale to influence how capital is deployed. <\/p>\n

Changing who makes decisions<\/p>\n

Several interviewees stressed that addressing the investment gap is not about lowering standards, but about broadening access to decision-making power. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to lower the bar. We want to widen the gate,\u201d said Hanadi Jabado, Managing Partner at Sana Capital. \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to have women on the website. We need women with carry, with votes, and with the power to invest.\u201d <\/p>\n

In the Netherlands, Invest-NL has taken a more explicit approach. \u201cIncremental change is not enough \u2014 that\u2019s why we decided to be more ambitious,\u201d said Ulrike Kostense, Investment Principal at Invest-NL. \u201cWith our Diverse Manager Programme, we deliberately set a high bar: at least 50% of fund partners must be women or team members from a culturally or ethically diverse background. More diverse teams make better investment decisions.\u201d <\/p>\n

From insight to action<\/p>\n

The evidence from both the data and research points to clear priorities for action: building a permanent European data hub on gender and investment; aligning definitions and reporting standards; closing the gap between early support and growth funding; using public capital more strategically to attract private investment; and improving connections across Europe\u2019s fragmented funding ecosystem. <\/p>\n

The study\u2019s central conclusion is direct. Europe does not lack women innovators. It lacks systems that consistently measure, fund and scale them, particularly in deep tech. <\/p>\n

\u201cGender equality isn\u2019t just a fairness goal,\u201d Sv\u00ed\u010dkov\u00e1 said. \u201cIt\u2019s a competitiveness goal. Europe can\u2019t afford to waste talent \u2013 especially in deep tech.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new EU-backed study has laid bare the scale and structure of Europe\u2019s gender investment gap, with a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268924,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[138,336,31191,1426,111,139,69,145,2248],"class_list":{"0":"post-268923","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-entrepreneurship","10":"tag-gender-equality","11":"tag-investment","12":"tag-new-zealand","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nz","15":"tag-technology","16":"tag-women"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}