Collective goes live to accelerate diversity

Female founders in Switzerland are underrepresented and receive less funding than their male counterparts. Last year in September, SICTIC and startup days invited various support organisations to discuss measures to reduce this disparity. The meeting resulted in the establishment of Collective, an informal association of committed individuals and organisations fostering diversity in the Swiss startup ecosystem.

Its goals include:

• To connect various initiatives and projects on the topic of diversity and especially "Female Founders & Female Investors".
• To improve the general framework conditions to fully unleash women’s potential for a strong Swiss innovation scene and economy.
• Explore possible partnerships and collaborations and jointly launch additional initiatives to strengthen women as founders and investors in the Swiss startup ecosystem.

This week, Collective launched its website, providing a transparent overview of the existing initiatives and their activities, such as events, podcasts, reports and analyses, and the Female Founder Map. Collective has so far registered 22 member organizations and initiatives.   

Participating organizations tackling longer-term issues such as education, gender budgeting and the motherhood penalty. The Collective team, led by entrepreneur Melanie Kovacs, will organize a dedicated event to connect female investors and founders during the upcoming startup days on 25 May 2023.

“I am excited that we are able to showcase publicly and transparently all the many organizations and initiatives that are tirelessly working for more diversity in the Swiss startup ecosystem. A lot is happening and now that is visible in one place. There is still a lot to be done and I am confident that together, we will make the Swiss startup ecosystem more diverse,” said Melanie Kovacs, Lead Collective.

(RAN)