The tech industry has long been male-dominated, but Google has recognised the inequality in the industry and announced its Accelerator Programme for Women-Led Startups to support women entrepreneurs in the industry. Although there are gender equality initiatives such as Female Founders, Google’s programme will be the first of its kind to focus solely on helping women-led startups grow their businesses. What do you think of Google’s decision to launch this programme? Do you think it will benefit female entrepreneurs? Should other large tech companies follow suit? Leave your comments below! Google’s Accelerator Programme for Women-Led Startups
The 100 Best Female Founders
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In August of 2015, Google hosted their annual Made with Code competition. This was an event where female STEM role models were invited to share their best advice with young girls. Each woman was asked to submit a two minute video on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. The top 100 videos were made into a list, viewable by all on YouTube. They offer advice on everything from finding cofounders to managing your energy levels as you scale your business.
Why fund female founders?
The announcement of Google’s new female founders initiative raises questions. Do you think there is a bias towards male founders? Does Silicon Valley have gender issues that need to be addressed? Why do you think we see so few women founding startups? Share your opinions on whether venture capitalists are biased toward men or women and let us know what needs to be done to solve the gender issue in Silicon Valley.
You can also share any advice you have with female entrepreneurs who may not get funded because they don’t look like their counterparts. The tech industry has come under fire recently for their lack of diversity, especially in terms of race and gender. In June 2014, only 3% of all venture capital funding went to black startups, according to research from CB Insights.
Is Your Company Ready For Funding?
If you’re thinking about launching a startup, one of your major concerns should be how to fund it. The good news is that startups have more avenues now than ever before for securing funding. In fact, it may even seem like there are too many options: crowdfunding platforms, accelerators and incubators, venture capital firms—the list goes on. However, if you want to get your startup off on the right foot and make sure you secure enough funding to see it through its first years, always keep in mind two things: your company’s valuation and timeline. Understanding how these factors interact will help ensure that you choose an option (or combination of options) that fits with what your company needs most.
Getting traction will get you funded
There’s no better way to get your startup funding than to show that people are actually willing to use it. Getting a small number of users on board is not only likely easier and cheaper than you think, but can also help you identify early mistakes in your model or product development. If you can’t find traction by yourself, leverage new accelerator programmes that are designed to provide free mentorship and resources in exchange for equity. Google recently announced one such programme , which will be starting with a handful of high-potential women-led startups.
Ten Questions to Ask Yourself Before Launching
These questions will help you figure out whether your idea is worth pursuing. Be sure to ask yourself these questions before you spend too much time and money on your startup idea! 1. Is it something you’re passionate about? It sounds cliche, but passion is a crucial ingredient for success in any business venture. 2. Can you put a hard cap on how much money you’ll invest in yourself if things don’t go well? Starting a business can get expensive—fast. 3. Do I have enough of a financial cushion to survive without my salary? This one is key: You need to be able to financially support yourself while building your business and ideally, even after it launches (that’s where that self-funded hard cap comes into play). 4.
Ten Questions To Ask Potential Investors
Before deciding whether or not to take money from an investor, it is important to take some time to explore both your reasons for taking on outside funding as well as your reasons for turning down certain investors. Here are ten questions that can help you better understand potential investors and their views on running a business. These questions will also help you to better decide if working with an investor aligns with your own core beliefs about being an entrepreneur. Here are 10 things you should ask a potential investor before signing any contracts: 1) What do they like to see in terms of financial projections? 2) What do they think about bootstrapping versus raising outside capital? 3) How important is it that I remain part of my business going forward?
Important Tips About Fundraising
One reason women often do not receive startup funding is because they are less likely to ask for it. To fight unconscious bias, advisers recommend you prepare in advance by researching venture capitalists or angel investors and keep a list of contacts that you can send your plan to when you’re ready. One way to find potential investors is by asking customers and clients if they know anyone who would be interested in investing. You should also look into various online directories such as AngelList, Crowdfunder, Crowdcube and EarlyShares that feature online platforms that facilitate equity crowdfunding and help people raise funds from both high net worth individuals and institutional investors such as venture capital firms.