Women Venture Asia is stepping in to ensure that the future of innovation is inclusive. Founded by Harmin Kaur, Deborah Widjaja and Dr. Sandhya Sriram with the mission to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship, the non-profit platform seeks to empower women by addressing systemic barriers and enabling access to funding networks and mentorship. Women Venture Asia is not just a movement, they see it as a recalibration of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Asia.
Despite growing awareness, women entrepreneurs still receive disproportionately low levels of venture funding, with only 2.3% of global VC funding going to female founders. While Southeast Asia fares slightly better, challenges persist. Women-led businesses tend to be smaller in scale, often due to limited access to capital, perceived gender bias, and fewer connections to high-impact networks. Women Venture Asia is confronting these gaps head-on by creating an ecosystem where women are seen, supported, and set up to succeed. These initiatives are designed to serve women across various growth stages, from early-stage founders to established leaders, ensuring that no woman is left behind on her entrepreneurial journey.
More than just funding, Women Venture Asia is championing wellness and holistic capacity building. By advocating for more inclusive best practices and convening diverse voices, from venture capitalists to policymakers, the organisation is creating a collective push for systemic change.
Importantly, it also acts as a counter-narrative to outdated stereotypes about women founders. Through its work, Women Venture Asia is debunking myths around risk aversion, lack of ambition, or limited scalability, showcasing instead a dynamic pool of women ready to lead the next wave of innovation.
By anchoring their work in research, accountability, and collaboration, Women Venture Asia isn’t just empowering individual women—it is redesigning the architecture of opportunity in Asia’s startup landscape. With the support of progressive venture capital firms, investors, and corporate allies, this platform is poised to be a catalyst for generational change, shaping a world where women entrepreneurs are not the exception, but the expectation.
Image credit: Women Venture Asia (Marie Wee LLP)
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