Female Founders getting grants & other female founder news (Feb 2022)
This monthly series showcases some of the best news for female founders.
Skim the news below to learn about the latest news, funding, opportunities and thought leadership for female founders.
Almost 40 women-led startups receive almost $12M in funding from Boosting Female Founder Grant. AirRobe & Bubble Tea Club secure funding from Boosting Female Founder Initiative. After receiving over 2,500 expressions of interest, 38 women-led businesses have been awarded funding from the Boosting Female Founders Initiative - including two of Atto alumni startups, AirRobe and Bubble Tea Club. Read more about AirRobe & Bubble Tea Club. Read more in Smart Company. View the full list of recipients in Women’s Agenda.
The yin and yang that made Canva a $55b behemoth. “We are well on the way to being one of the most valuable companies in the world,” says Perkins, aged 34. “We want every single person on the planet to use Canva.” Read more in the Australian Financial Review.
Female founders need money, not more mentoring. “Having raised over $50m in financing for my female cofounded business, and spoken to hundreds of other early-stage founders — plus having pored over the data — I firmly believe that rather than trying to “fix” female founders, the VC industry needs to do the much harder work of fixing itself. It is only by changing the composition of the gatekeepers of capital that we stand any chance of changing the distribution of capital.” Read more in Sifted.
Sunroom is an alternative creator platform empowering women to cash in. “Founded by alums of Hinge and Bumble, Sunroom is a creator platform that throws out the stuff that makes mainstream social media apps such a hostile place for women. And, ideally, it wants to help them get paid in the process.” Read more in TechCrunch.
How to become an angel investor. [Catherine] Robson recommends starting small and anticipating that you’ll likely make multiple investments – at least 20, with as many as 40. “You want as many bets as possible,” says Robson, adding it’s important to keep some capital aside in case the business needs more. Read more in the AFR.
Sarah Wilson on why business leaders should give their money away. “Most Australians can afford to donate 10% of their income. I’d argue many could donate a lot more,”…“Giving is not just about the moral imperative, it is also the most reliable happiness or wellness hit you can get,” she says. “Giving does incredible things for the morale of a leader and their company.” Read more in Smart Company.
‘No one should have to sit out due to life’s leaks’: Modibodi founder Kristy Chong shares plans for the future. “We have customers worldwide across 65 countries, and products to suit all stages of life. I’m proud that we have maintained our ethos of being authentic, human, and taboo breaking – and that we are now making the shift to being not just a period underwear brand, but a brand of apparel for all of life’s leaks – including incontinence, breast milk, sweat and more.” Read more in Women’s Agenda.
Gap year start-up by former ANZ exec raises $1.25m. Motivated by her own high school stress, this start-up founder has raised $1.2m to take her education program global. Read more in The Australian.
Small business carbon tracking software startup Trace raises $1.5 million. “Co-founders Catherine (Cat) Long and Joanna Auburn, have evolved from their initial goal of their own sustainable brand to focus one helping SMEs make their own businesses ‘Climate Positive’.“ Read more in Startup Daily.