Around the globe, businesses led by women are driving economic progress, generating employment, and addressing issues within their communities. Nonetheless, the unfortunate truth is that these female entrepreneurs are not receiving the financial support they merit. Female founders still face significant challenges in securing funding from venture capitalists. In both the U.S. and Europe, startups led exclusively by women receive less than 2% of total venture capital investments.
In an effort to bridge this funding gap, we are dedicated to backing women entrepreneurs through our equity-free Google for Startups Accelerator programs. These programs provide startups with guidance and technological resources essential for their growth. Since the inception of these programs in 2016, 36% of the 1,000 startups we have supported were spearheaded by women. In 2020, we introduced a specialized initiative for women – Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders – in North America. Subsequently, the program has experienced global expansion.
This year, coinciding with International Women’s Day, we are launching two new cycles, one being the fifth cohort in North America and the other as the inaugural cohort in Europe and Israel. Here are the 28 startups developing AI solutions to address some of the most critical global challenges.
