JFD, the international tech growth accelerator, and EuraTechnologies, the leading startup and innovation hub, continue their strategic partnership to support women entrepreneurs in Tech and open a new chapter with the launch of their European Club. Seven years after the White Shirts movement launched by JFD in 2017, the under-representation of women in tech is increasing with artificial intelligence.
In Europe, only 15% of start-ups are founded by women. The start-ups of these women entrepreneurs receive barely 2% of the funds raised, while they are valued three times less after a Series A than those led by men. These alarming discrepancies have prompted a concrete response from JFD and EuraTechnologies with the launch of a European platform dedicated to promoting and accelerating tech start-ups founded by women.
A study by Cambridge University revealed that less than 15% of business and technology articles feature women. Increasing the media visibility of women entrepreneurs is a key lever for increasing their access to funding and opportunities.
JFD and EuraTechnologies want to reverse the trend and remind people that women are also a breeding ground for performance and innovation. As part of JFD’s new “Women rAIsing” campaign, a number of initiatives will be open to these 100 women entrepreneurs, including the Margaret Awards, the JFD Club and its international network, and the first European AI barometer.
A new chapter in the White Shirts movement
In 2017, in response to a photo of an all-male “startup nation” illustrating a business magazine article about French startups “finally ready to play in the big league”, JFD brought together female entrepreneurs in jeans and white shirts: the image made a lasting impression and launched a movement that would become a landmark in the very male-dominated world of French Tech.
» We can no longer allow the future to be written in masculine terms, even less so when it comes to AI. The symbol of the white shirt is above all a call to innovation and creativity for the benefit of society as a whole. Artificial intelligence, to which JFD is dedicating an ambitious campaign -women rAIsing- offers unprecedented opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Thanks to this European springboard that we are creating, we will enable these women entrepreneurs to go faster and further. « says Delphine Remy-Boutang, founder of JFD and Arver.
The gateway to European growth for women entrepreneurs
Based in Lille, EuraTechnologies x JFD Club federates an influential network on a European scale, with already 100 female entrepreneurs supported by leading partners such as hub.brussels, an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that aims to stimulate and strengthen the economic network of the Brussels region. This Franco-Belgian alliance reflects the firm intention to expand on a European scale.
JFD and EuraTechnologies are fostering synergies between peers, investors and decision-makers, in order to propel these female entrepreneurs onto an international path. The Club will meet every six weeks to share experiences, skills and networking opportunities.
» This club has been created around a hundred female entrepreneurs, using cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, often with a view to making an impact, in order to facilitate networking and increase opportunities for these entrepreneurs. We want to send a signal to investment funds, companies and institutions affirming their willingness to support and invest in start-ups led by women: female talents in tech exist and are a remarkable breeding ground for performance, which we urgently need to invest in for tomorrow’s society’, says Koussée Vaneecke, CEO of EuraTechnologies and named in the 2024 Forbes 40 Women list. « says Koussée Vaneecke, CEO of EuraTechnologies and named in the Forbes 40 Women 2024 list.
Photo credit: EuraTechnologies / JFD
About EuraTechnologies
Founded in 2009 by three historic shareholders, the European Metropolis of Lille, the Hauts-de-France Region, and the City of Lille, EuraTechnologies is one of the largest startup incubators in Europe and was named the top startup hub in France and 30th in Europe by the Financial Times ranking of March 2024. Through its five sites spread across the Hauts-de-France region, EuraTechnologies’ mission is to support the development of digital businesses and entrepreneurs with a unique methodology and know-how, from idea to project, to international deployment. In 2022, EuraTechnologies raised 24 million euros to accelerate its development around four priority axes: employment and talent, state-of-the-art technological equipment and collaboration in research and innovation, environmental and energy transition, and international expansion. To find out more : EuraTechnologies.com
Press contact EuraTechnologies:
Juliette Rama-Testu jramatestu@euratechnologies.com
About JFD – Join Forces & Dare
JFD – Join Forces & Dare – a company with a mission founded in 2012 by Delphine Remy-Boutang, is an international accelerator dedicated to the growth of women who dare to take on bold technological challenges and rely on disruptive innovations to change the world. Active in Europe, Africa and Canada, JFD brings together private, public and media players to focus on three key areas: education, role models and financing. Its mission is to enable women to enter the world of tech and support the emergence of new leaders who will build the world of tomorrow. For 13 years, JFD has acted as a think tank with flagship initiatives such as the Margaret, the Margaret Foundation, the JFD Club, the White Shirts Movement… Through its annual studies and benchmark publications, such as “Athlètes de l’innovation” (Ed. Flammarion). JFD has reached 20 million people, trained 10,000 talents and supported the growth of over 1,000 start-ups worldwide. https://www.joinjfd.com
Press contacts JFD:
Mélissa Rancé melissa@thebureau.fr
Stephanie Elbaz stephanie.elbaz@maior-conseil.com
