Munich Startup: In 2020, you conducted a research project together with IUBH on the topic of ‘female business angels in Germany’. How many female business angels were there at that time?
Svenja Lassen: At that time, the figures for Germany had not yet been collected and were unclear. Based on various studies, we estimated around eight percent – far too few. This impression was also confirmed at all events and in reporting: female business angels were rarely encountered. Within Gateway Ventures, the proportion of female investors was only four percent. So I saw urgent need for action to increase this number.
Lowering the barrier to entry for potential business angels
Munich Startup: The mission #25to25 emerged from the study. What is your goal?
Svenja Lassen: From the study, we first created the Female Investors Network (FIN) in 2020 as an open point of contact for active angels and women who want to become angels. Our goal was to lower the barrier to entry into the startup investment scene and to provide transparent information on the topic, thereby motivating more women. We launched the mission #25to25 in 2021. The goal: 25 percent women in the startup scene by 2025, both among founders and investors. But we can only achieve this together. That’s why every player in the ecosystem is called upon to support this mission and do their part.
Munich Startup: Where do you stand today, and what have you already achieved?
Svenja Lassen: The proportion of female investors in Germany is now 13.6 percent and has increased significantly, but of course not enough yet. That’s why we launched the FIN-Academy in 2022, a training program for women who want to become business angels. For this, we won the ‘Female Finance Award’ from FOCUS Money this year. The fifth academy is currently running. We have already trained 136 graduates, some of whom are already investing – that makes us very proud, of course.
Munich Startup: You are currently working on another study. Who should participate and what do you want to find out?
Svenja Lassen: It’s not a new study, but an update to our 2020 study. We want to find out what has changed and improved over the past three years. Which offered measures, initiatives, and networks have driven positive change? But we also want to know where there is still need for action and what women who invest or want to invest specifically need.
Where is there a need for action?
Munich Startup: In your view, what is still missing to improve the situation?
Svenja Lassen: Of course, many more women who want to start as business angels and thus have a direct influence on innovation and the future. But of course we also lack partners and supporters who can realize projects like the FIN-Academy, so that even more interested women can be trained.
And we need more men who also don’t accept the imbalance and are committed to change, because we all benefit from more diversity in the ecosystem. We simply need diverse perspectives to make good decisions together.
Right now, we need finance-interested women who can take a few minutes to participate in our update study and share their opinion. That way we know what we still need to implement in the future to make the investment scene sustainably more female.
