Are you an ambitious female founder looking to build a successful company on an original idea? The city that never sleeps, New York City, offers a vibrant startup ecosystem that is ideal for your goals. NYC has established itself as a hub for new businesses and artistic endeavors because of its varied talent pool, easy access to capital, and consistent support.
Despite the enormous potential, venture capital funding still presents substantial challenges for female founders, with just 12% of the 100+ billion dollars in VC funding coming to companies with a female founder in 2017. Surprisingly, there are no female investors in 71% of US-based venture capital companies.
In this guide, you will find the following resources that are especially directed towards female founders in New York City
Anthemis’Female Innovators Lab
An innovative venture fund and studio, The Anthemis Female Innovators Lab Fund (FIL), is dedicated to supporting and strengthening female business owners in the financial services sector. The goal of FIL, which is financed by Aviva and supported by Barclays, is to encourage female entrepreneurial potential and provide them the tools they need to succeed in the financial services industry.
FIL’s driving force, Anthemis, was established with the goal of fostering a more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem. Amy Nauiokas and Sean Park, the company’s founders, saw the need of promoting tolerance and diversity in the sector. Inspired by their idea, they founded FIL to solve the gender gap in the startup financial services industry and provide female founders with the chances and support they deserve.
Founded: 2019
Top Industries active in: Finance, Sustainability, Ecommerce, Beauty
Number of Investments: No Data
Exits: No Data
(ERA) Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) is a prominent technology accelerator and venture capital fund based in New York City. Since its establishment in 2011, ERA has made significant strides, investing in over 280 startups. Drawing entrepreneurs from across the globe, ERA’s diverse portfolio of companies is driving innovation in various industries on a global scale.
The accelerator’s alumni have experienced tremendous success, collectively raising over $1 billion in capital and surpassing $6 billion in market capitalization. ERA’s unwavering commitment to supporting early-stage ventures and fostering a thriving startup ecosystem has solidified its position as a key player in New York City’s technology and investment landscape.
Founded: 2011
Top Industries active in: Software, E-Commerce and Health Care
Number of Investments: 331
Exits: 32
Forum Ventures
Forum Ventures, formerly known as Acceleprise, is a trailblazing force in the world of early-stage B2B SaaS startups. Since its inception in 2014, the organization has been on a mission to ease the challenges faced by early-stage founders, offering pre-seed and seed-stage funding, high-touch programming, corporate perks, and a thriving SaaS community.
Their pre-seed program, Forum For Founders, empowers entrepreneurs with $100k in funding and an intensive 15-week program filled with valuable talks, events, mentorship, and personalized guidance, all tailored to excel in go-to-market strategies and fundraising. Additionally, Forum Seed, their seed fund, actively invests in exceptional SaaS startups, both from their pre-seed program and beyond.
With an impressive portfolio of over 250 companies, Forum Ventures has garnered the trust and support of prominent investors, leading their founders to secure funding from renowned firms. As an essential pillar of the B2B SaaS ecosystem, Forum Ventures continues to nurture and elevate startups on their path to success.
Founded: 2012
Top Industries active in: Software, SaaS and Information Technology
Number of Investments: 324
Exits: 26
Techstars New York City Accelerator
The startup scene in New York, which includes successful Techstars NYC alums including ClassPass, Plated, Timehop, and Jukely, is ranked second in the world. Modern technology, access to top personnel from many industries and prestigious colleges, a large investor network, a thriving startup scene with lots of networking possibilities, and the city’s position as a major financial and cultural center all contribute to its allure.
New York offers a fostering atmosphere for startups and has emerged as a top choice for the headquarters of successful firms, strengthening its position as a quickly expanding digital powerhouse. This is thanks to government funding, incubators, and co-working spaces.
Founded: 2011
Top Industries active in: Software, Finance and SaaS
Number of Investments: 235
Exits: 45
Starta VC
Starta Accelerator’s primary mission is to facilitate the growth of international startups by offering tailored educational programs that encompass best practices, mentorship, and guidance from trusted advisers. By focusing on overcoming cultural differences, we provide a supportive environment for startups to thrive in the US market and integrate into the local startup and investment ecosystem. Our commitment to diversity is evident in our portfolio of 150+ companies, with founders hailing from Eastern and Western Europe, the US, Africa, and Latin America, fostering a rich and inclusive entrepreneurial community.
Founded: 2011
Top Industries active in: Software, Information Technology and E-Commerce
Number of Investments: 158
Exits: 4
XRC Labs
A cutting-edge innovation accelerator called XRC Labs is dedicated to fostering the next wave of disruptors in the retail and consumer goods sectors. The organization fosters dynamic engagement between business owners, investors, brands, and retailers through its two yearly events, spurring quick innovation and spotting new business possibilities in the retail industry.
Located in the core of Manhattan, the hub of retail and consumer products, businesses have access to priceless resources including funding, professional mentoring, operational assistance, and dedicated workspace. Close collaborations between XRC Labs with leading brands, retailers, and technology firms enable these organizations to continually adapt to the changing requirements of current customers while also planning for those of future generations.
Founded: 2015
Top Industries active in: E-Commerce, Retail and Fashion
Number of Investments: 117
Exits: 8
Grand Central Tech
Grand Central Tech (GCT) distinguishes itself from conventional accelerators as a distinctive network of entrepreneurs and key partners, providing an unmatched value proposition. GCT offers the top early-stage entrepreneurs in New York City a wide range of essential services to help them expand significantly. It is housed in the old New York headquarters of Facebook and has a beautiful view of Grand Central.
The chosen businesses are given a full year of free office space, access to a worldwide network of investors, Fortune 1000 corporate partners, and priceless mentors and advisers. They also have an internal personnel recruiting staff. In addition, GCT goes above and above by offering crucial legal, tax, PR, and accounting services without requiring any equity or rent.
Founded: 2014
Top Industries active in: Software, Health Care and Internet
Number of Investments: 91
Exits: 15
Blueprint Health
New York City-based Blueprint Health is a top accelerator program that places a strong emphasis on supporting entrepreneurs who are building ground-breaking businesses at the intersection of health and technology. This innovative initiative gives participating businesses access to vital resources like financing and clients, but its most valuable resource is its large and active mentor community for the healthcare industry.
This mentor network, which has unrivaled knowledge and experience in the healthcare sector, offers vital advice, knowledge, and contacts, distinguishing Blueprint Health as the accelerator with the largest and most encouraging healthcare mentor community globally.
Founded: 2011
Top Industries active in: Health Care, Medical and Information Technology
Number of Investments: 86
Exits: 13
Big Idea Ventures
Big Idea Ventures is dedicated to addressing the most important global issues by offering continuous support to the most creative businesspeople. Their first fund, the New Protein Fund, is dedicated to promoting developments in the world of cultured, plant-based, and alternative proteins.
The fund enables businesses to create cutting-edge goods, ground-breaking ingredients, and game-changing technology in the plant-based market by combining finance and strategic alliances. Big Idea Ventures hopes to hasten the development of ethical and sustainable food solutions that benefit both the environment and human health through this program.
Founded: 2018
Top Industries active in: Food and Beverage, Food Processing and Biotechnology
Number of Investments: 74
Exits: 3
New York Fashion Tech Lab
With a focus on enabling women-led, B2B fashion, and retail-focused digital firms, NY Fashion Tech Lab was established in 2014 with the help of the renowned venture financing company Springboard firms. An exciting three-month program gives startup participants unmatched access to mentoring from well-known fashion retailers and venture capital organizations, generating priceless relationships and insights inside the industry.
In addition to mentorship, a series of seminars and lively panel discussions that focus on the issues and difficulties encountered by fashion technology startups expand founders’ knowledge. The NY Fashion Tech Lab fosters the development and success of its members through this all-encompassing strategy, fostering diversity and creativity in the field of fashion and retail technology.
Founded: 2014
Top Industries active in: Women-led, b2b, fashion & retail focused tech companies
Number of Investments: No Data
Exits: No Data
ICONYC labs
ICONYC Labs is a specialized accelerator company that concentrates on startup and early-stage businesses. It focuses on funding Israeli digital startups with the intention of accelerating their development and time to market. Enterprise software, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), digital health, drones, fintech, and digital media are just a few of the areas the company is looking for possibilities in.
Arie Abecassis and Eyal Bino established ICONYC Labs on March 29, 2015, and the company is based in New York City. The company offers entrepreneurs the tools and guidance they need to thrive in their respective sectors, with a particular focus on nurturing creativity and supporting Israeli digital companies.
Founded: 2015
Top Industries active in: Software, Artificial Intelligence and Health Care
Number of Investments: 54
Exits: 3
Dreamit
Dreamit Ventures focuses on businesses that have previously generated revenue or have completed pilot projects and are ready to scale. One of the special advantages of being a Dreamit firm is the availability of two-week Customer Sprints®, which permit meetings with top executives and shorten the sales and relationship cycles. Each organization has the chance to participate in two sets of these Customer Sprints, which take place four times a year.
Additionally, Dreamit hosts Investor Sprints®, a two-week event conducted three times a year where businesses may connect with potential investors to learn more about funding options. A startup’s ability to succeed and attract consumers more effectively is made possible by the firm’s extensive domain knowledge and industry-focused strategy, which provide crucial counsel and direction from past founders and domain experts.
Founded: 2008
Top Industries active in: Healthtech and Securetech
Number of Investments: No Data
Exits: No Data
Food Future Co
With its cutting-edge scale-up accelerator, Food Future Co. is a trailblazing force in the startup ecosystem, changing the Food Tech, Agri Tech, and social and environmental sectors. The company carefully chooses 4 to 8 potential businesses each year and makes a substantial $10,000 first investment in each of them. The complete 5-month program these businesses are immersed in, where they obtain priceless knowledge and direction from industry leaders and investment partners, is where the actual value is found.
This all-encompassing strategy equips the chosen companies with the tools they need to sharpen their business plans, spur expansion, simplify operations, and improve logistics, launching them to success and leaving a long-lasting beneficial mark on the world’s food and agriculture industries.
Founded: 2014
Top Industries active in: Agri & Food Tech
Number of Investments: No Data
Exits: No Data
Founder Institute
With flexibility that enables entrepreneurs to engage in the program during the evenings while continuing to work their day jobs until they are prepared to fully commit to their startup businesses, the Founder Institute stands out as a great platform for early-stage concepts. The Founder Institute, which has its roots in Silicon Valley, has quickly grown to include over 100 chapters in various locations across the world, giving it the title of largest entrepreneur training and business launch program internationally.
The Founder Institute stands out because it emphasizes the founders as individuals rather than merely the ideas they contribute. Although it is not mandatory, applicants should demonstrate significant drive and a willingness to create a long-lasting company concept at the time of submission.
Founded: 2009
Top Industries active in: All
Number of Investments: No Data
Exits: No Data
MetaProp
A well-known growth accelerator for real estate technology businesses, MetaProp NYC. Early-stage entrepreneurs have access to a comprehensive support network that comprises a $175,000 convertible debt and a $25,000 equity investment, or 6% of common stock. MetaProp provides tailored finance and a three-year vesting schedule for its three percent common advisory shares arrangement for later-stage enterprises.
In order to help entrepreneurs succeed in the real estate technology sector, the intense 22-week program offers them crucial tools, coaching, and networking opportunities. The creation and growth of real estate digital enterprises is greatly aided by MetaProp NYC’s specialized approach and dedication to promoting innovation.
Founded: 2015
Top Industries active in: Real Estate
Number of Investments: No Data
Exits: No Data
Depending on the stage of growth of the firm, accelerators may provide entrepreneurs and their businesses with amazing prospects. An accelerator program can be the best option if you’re looking for coaching and funding to hasten the growth and success of your business. You may get priceless knowledge and experiences by taking part in such a program that are comparable to years of education in just a few short months.
Reach out to our founder at Effie Bersoux if you’re searching for a marketing firm that specializes in women-led enterprises to learn more about.
