The proportion of self-employed women in Germany has risen significantly over the last 15 years. Thanks to the positive labor market development, the number of women in employment has also risen considerably. This trend is reflected in entrepreneurial activities. The KfW-Gründungsmonitor registered 568,000 persons who took up full- or part-time self-employment in 2023, of whom 251,000 were women. This means women account for 44 percent of new businesses. This includes starting out as either with a business or a liberal profession.
Liberal professions are growing at the heart of the service society and are becoming more female. This is shown by figures from the IfM Bonn: around 51,920 women took up self-employment in the liberal professions in 2023. As in previous years, women account for more than half of freelance start-ups. The proportion of self-employed women in the liberal professions was 54.8 percent. “At the beginning of 2023, women were most strongly represented among psychotherapists, publicists, veterinarians and visual and performing artists,” reported the IfM Bonn.
However, female entrepreneurs are significantly under-represented in the start-up ecosystem. According to figures from Deutscher Startup Monitor 2024, women make up 18.8 percent. In terms of startup financing, the EY Startup Barometer Gründerinnen reveals that there is a large gender investment gap: in 2024 female-led startups received significantly less venture capital than startups with all-male founding teams.
The Female Founders Monitor 2025 is the central study on the importance of female founders for the startup ecosystem. The biggest obstacles for female startup founders include a lack of impetus in the education system, challenges in balancing care work and career and a lack of access to relevant networks. However, the study carried out by the Startup Association on behalf of the Bertelsmann Stiftung also shows that although the proportion of women is still low, female founders have secured more venture capital and more frequently in recent years.
Female startup founders consider diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion to be more important than their male colleagues, according to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion study published in 2024.
On the other hand, female entrepreneurs often enrich the start-up ecosystem with diversity and fresh perspectives. They are frequently motivated by social issues and their innovative business ideas often encompass both business and societal aspects. The DSEM German Social Entrepreneurship Monitor 2024 showed that more than every second DSEM social enterprise was (co-)founded by women.
According to the Green Startup Monitor 2024 the proportion of female founders of startups that contribute to the ecological goals of a Green Economy is, at 24 percent, significantly higher than in the startup ecosystem as a whole. This is also reflected at management level of these startup companies.
guide initiative has been offering actual and potential female entrepreneurs various forms of support at all stages of their business development since 2005, including:
- Introductory “guide start” event
- Group coaching
- Workshops
- Seminars
- Networking events
- Individual consultations
guide is committed to authentic and individual advice on starting a business, tailored to the wishes and needs of its female clients. The advisor and entrepreneur work together on a concept for the new business, and analyse its market potential, customer focus, economic viability, and long-term prospects. The Department of Labor and Economic Development supports “guide” as part of the MBQ Munich Employment and Qualification Programme. In 2016 “guide” won the City of Munich’s Anita Augspurg Award for promoting equality for girls and women.
Former entrepreneurs and managers offer voluntary services as part of the Aktivsenioren Bayern association and can provide assistance to today’s female entrepreneurs regarding, for example, business plans and business-model analysis.
With the Women Start-up initiative, UnternehmerTUM aims to inspire and motivate women for the topics of start-ups and technology. The offer includes networking events, Female Founder Talks, workshops and the Women Start-up Empowerment training series – held in English.
Under the program Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU (promotion of business consulting for SMEs) small and medium-sized enterprises already on the market can receive a subsidy towards the costs of business consulting. They can obtain advice from qualified consultants on all economic, financial, personnel and organizational issues relating to company management. Funding is available for full-time and part-time businesses as well as company takeovers. Further information and advice can be obtained from the local IHK Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The mentoring program TWIN – TWO WOMEN WIN is a one-year, voluntary offer from the Käte Ahlmann Foundation. During this time, female entrepreneurs are individually supported by an experienced, self-employed businesswoman in all matters relating to their business development and personal advancement.
Entrepreneurs have different ways of getting the start-up capital they need for their business. Subsidies, loans, guarantees, shares, venture capital, crowdfunding – you can find an overview here.
A particular hit with female founders in Munich is the “Förderprogramm Crowdfunding–Kampagne” (“Funding program Crowdfunding Campaign”).
With this programme the City of Munich offers people launching a campaign in Munich financial support for all creative services relating to their crowdfunding campaign. Further information on the “Förderprogramm Crowdfunding–Kampagne” can be found on the City’s website.
Micro-mezzanine fund Germany
Designed for, among others, entrepreneurs whose need for capital is small or relatively modest, “mezzanine capital” improves credit rating and creates further scope for credit. The funding takes the form of a silent partnership via investment companies for SMEs. Founders in Munich should contact the Bavarian organisation BayBG Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft for more information on the micro-mezzanine fund.
EXIST-Women funding program
The Federal Program EXIST-Women program aims to encourage women at universities and research institutions to venture into entrepreneurial independence. Funding is open to all topics and technologies. The offer complements the EXIST program with the existing funding program lines. Female founders in Munich are advised to contact their respective university or research institution for further advice and to apply for funding.
Investor networks for female entrepreneurs
Raising awareness, networking, providing knowledge and capital – these networks bring investors, business angels, female entrepreneurs and potential investors together.
Below is a selection:
- encourageventures
- Fintech Ladies
- Female Investors Network
- VdU Female Investors and Founders Network
- Business Angels Netzwerk Deutschland e.V.
- Auxxo-Fonds
Portraits of female angel investors:
Award-winning investors:
- German Start-up Awards: Investorin des Jahres 2022
- Golden Aurora Award: Europe‘s Female Angel Investor of the Year 2021
Successful female-led exits
Female led fund
- GGF – Green Generation Fund invests in disruptive technologies at seed stages to enable breakthroughs in food tech and green tech.
Networks have many functions. Female founders and young female entrepreneurs can use networks to talk to and learn from one another and offer mutual encouragement. Networks can open doors by recommending and putting people in contact with service providers and potential clients. There are networks and initiatives for female empowerment on both a regional and national level in Germany. Below is a selection of services in and around Munich.
These female entrepreneurs offer inspiration and encouragement – you can find interviews and podcasts here.
Supporting and raising awareness of female entrepreneurial activity – these competitions send a signal and embolden women to take the path of self-employment.