How women leaders are transforming the technology industry
The technology sector is one of the main drivers of progress, determining the pace of development around the world through its innovation. However, conservative approaches still dominate this field. One of the most pressing issues is gender inequality. Female leaders often encounter obstacles when trying to secure investment. They find it harder to gain the trust of venture capitalists and demonstrate the potential of their projects.
Examples of successful start-ups founded by women
The solution to this problem may lie in the investment community rethinking its approaches. Fortunately, the situation is gradually changing. Clear evidence of this can be seen in the number of women who have led successful funding rounds:
Anne Boden
Considered an authoritative figure in the UK banking sector, Anne Boden founded the digital banking platform Starling Bank in 2014. She founded the digital banking platform Starling Bank in 2014, at a time when such projects were rare. Thanks to Boden, the start-up became profitable and entered new markets. In 2022, Boden conducted a funding round that raised €150 million. This brought the company’s total capital to over €948 million.
Charmaine Chow
In 2019, Charmaine Chow founded GetHarley, a platform offering one-to-one consultations with dermatologists and cosmetologists. A funding round in 2023 enabled the start-up to raise €44.8 million. This brought the total capital raised by Chow’s company to €57.8 million. This sum is one of the most significant in the medical technology sector.
Claire Novorol
Dr Claire Novorol is the creator of the Ada Health AI platform. This solution helps users to structure their symptoms and select possible treatment options. In 2022, she managed to raise €25.8 million, bringing the company’s total funding to €163 million.
Diliara Lupenko
Diliara Lupenko is one of the founders of the Impress start-up and serves as its chief operating officer. The company offers a platform that improves the results of orthodontic treatment. Thanks to Lupenko’s approach, the start-up has been able to scale up and expand beyond the UK. In 2024, the company held a funding round. It managed to raise €77 million. The total investment amounted to €256.8 million.
Elina Berglund
Elina Berglund created an app to help women monitor their reproductive processes. The app allows users to track ovulation and plan or prevent pregnancy effectively. Natural Cycles was the first programme to be approved as a contraceptive in both the US and Europe. In 2024, Berglund received €43.7 million in funding. This brought the total investment to €87.8 million.
The success of women leaders in the technology sector
The contributions of other female leaders to the development of the technology sector should also be recognised. Eléonora Crespo proved that her corporate software development company deserved the attention of investors. The start-up became one of the fastest-growing companies in France and attracted significant investment. Equally notable is the role of Fanny Moizant, the co-founder and president of the Vestiaire Collective platform. The company has become a global leader in the luxury fashion resale sector. Under Moizant’s leadership, the company has become a global brand that promotes sustainable fashion and the principles of the circular economy. In 2022, the start-up raised €75 million, bringing the total investments to €622.5 million.
Women are, therefore, capable of changing the market and setting the direction for the future. The faster stereotypes are broken down, the sooner the technology sector will become truly inclusive and progressive.
