Accelerating trailblazing women-led startups
- Ten innovative women-led startups will be given industry advice and assistance to scale up their businesses.
- The initiative is part of a $400,000 Advance Queensland Female Founders Investment Readiness program.
- The program aims to increase the success of new enterprises by reducing barriers women often face when growing their businesses and seeking investment.
The Crisafulli Government is boosting women's economic security and enabling innovative Queensland women to scale up their businesses, with the launch of a new program designed to break down barriers for female entrepreneurs.
Ten women-led startups have been chosen to participate in the first phase of Advance Queensland's $400,000 Female Founders Investment Readiness Program.
The pilot gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain invaluable business skills and knowledge from experienced investors and industry professionals, as well as access to resources like the Scale Investors FoundEd online course.
Armed with the skills to grow their enterprises, the founders can also pitch their business ideas to investors and navigate the Australian investment landscape.
The Female Founder Investment Readiness program is an initiative of the Backing Female Founders (BFF) Program, which provides a suite of initiatives to grow and scale Queensland innovation businesses founded by women.
According to The State of Australian Startup Funding 2023 report, 75 per cent of women founders believe their gender has impacted their ability to raise capital compared to just 9 per cent of male founders.
Empowering women is one of the many ways the Crisafulli Government is creating a stronger future for Queensland.
Labor's decade of dysfunction saw no end to the cost-of-living crisis – by putting women on a more even playing field, we are backing small businesses, delivering more jobs, and giving Queenslanders a better lifestyle through a stronger economy.
Minister for Science and Innovation Andrew Powell said the program would foster a supportive community of women entrepreneurs and help to increase the opportunities for founders to succeed.
"This program gives businesswomen a fantastic opportunity to forge ahead, meet investors and pioneer great ideas into fruition," Minister Powell said.
"I'm excited to see these startups come to life and have a positive impact on the market in Queensland, Australia, and even globally."
Minister for Women and Women's Economic Security Fiona Simpson said for people starting or scaling, being in business could be challenging.
Minister for Women and Women's Economic Security Fiona Simpson said starting or scaling up a business can be challenging.
"Raising capital is often a barrier, but the Female Founders Investment Readiness Program is helping boost capability to grow jobs," Minister Simpson said.
"We are proud to support Queensland women to be equipped to take on the world and to create opportunities for others.
"Women participating in this program have shown already they have a successful business. This program aims to help them do more and scale up, which benefits everyone.
"Providing training opportunities can really help change the course of a woman's future, creating a foundation to grow their economic security, which is a key focus of the Crisafulli Government."
Program participant Syma Ahmed, founder of Found Loop, said she was looking forward to developing a deeper understanding of the Australian investment landscape through the program.
"I see a lot of value in my business Found Loop, it's something very close to my heart – it's about reuniting people with lost items, some with high sentimental or financial worth, that often end up in landfill," she said.
"This program will help me to gain more confidence and familiarity with pitching to investors and negotiating effectively, to hopefully expand my business overseas.
"I don't have a vast network, so for me to have women founders who I can be on this journey with, supporting and championing each other through the highs and lows, will be very rewarding and enriching."
View more information about the Female Founders Investment Readiness program .
