On November 2, a fresh group of tech startups will embark on what can only be described as Venture Bootcamp. This highly competitive program is hosted by LaunchSquad client Astia, a global non-profit organization that aims to propel women’s full participation as entrepreneurs and leaders in high-growth businesses.
Although women launch twice as many businesses as men, only 6% of all venture-backed startups are lead by women, and a pitiful 1.7% of venture-backed technology startups were founded by women. However, a 2007 Catalyst report reveals that Fortune 500 companies with the greatest representation of female board directors achieved significantly superior financial performance than even the best homogeneous firms. With these numbers in mind, Astia offers a host of programs to female entrepreneurs, egregiously underrepresented and unsupported in the industry areas of innovation, life science, and technology.
Each year, approximately 25-30 exceptional companies are welcomed into Astia‘s ecosystem of venture capitalists, investors and business experts. On November 2, the 2009 selected companies will kick off their membership with Astia‘s Doing it Right program, a 5-day marathon of workshops, followed by two months of business coaching. Once a part of the Astia community, client members benefit from strengthened access to capital and consistent business leadership training.
Since 2003, 60% of Astia’s clients have achieved funding or acquisition within one year of teaming up with Astia. This year marks Astia’s tenth anniversary supporting companies to develop into high-growth enterprises.
We’re proud to be helping Astia spread the word as they facilitate positive change that will not only help women entrepreneurs, but also drive innovation and economic and job growth.