Three women-led startups

The number of women entrepreneurs is increasingly higher. Despite the fact that women represent 51% of the Spanish population, the figure drops to 19% when we talk about women founding companies in Spain, according to the 'Entrepreneurship Map 2019' Report prepared by Spain Startup-South Summit. 

That is why, on International Women's Day, we want to bring to you the experience of women who have dared to undertake and launch their own project, even with all the difficulties. They are very different projects, but they all have in common the technological base, an area in which women also have a lot to say and contribute. That's why today we are telling you these inspiring, exciting and useful stories to inspire you. Do you want to know them?

Andrea Barber

Rated Power

Andrea is a tireless worker, co-founder and CEO of Rated Powerher Pvdesing software allows to optimize the design of solar power plants. In addition to being focused on sustainability and technology with this project, she gives voice to different pioneering women as co-founder of the podcast Vostok 6 . 

 "The main challenges I have encountered in my journey as an entrepreneur have mainly been challenging societal expectations and achieving a work-life balance." It has also been a challenge for her to find a support system of other women who are entrepreneurs, with whom she can be inspired, share day-to-day life, ask for advice, and discuss the challenges they face as entrepreneurs. "I now have several such networks and I find it extremely important."

She is a constant inspiration through her work, but which woman has been your greatest inspiration? "The woman who has always inspired me the most has always been my mother, she has managed to have what I consider to be a very good personal, family and work balance and has broken many molds throughout her life. She has taught and inspired me to do what I love and what makes me happy, beyond what is expected of me, she has taught me to own my achievements and deal with the fear of failure."

This is her advice for other women, it can be of great help if you are thinking about entrepreneurship: "If you are up for the challenge, do it. It is important to ask for feedback on your business ideas from the people around you and your potential customers without fear, research the market well and read a lot about the industry and competitors. On the other hand, looking for entrepreneurship programs and accelerators such as Tetuan Valley, will help you a lot in the initial phase, and will give you very valuable tools and support network".

Nazareth Rodrigáñez and Angélica Pimentel

POiN Places

Two entrepreneurial mothers who, through their experience with their children, found a business opportunity. Their platform, POiN Placesfacilitates life with children, offering the possibility to find, rate and book child-friendly places in the city. They have recently incorporated Irene Pérez Encinar, CTO of the project. Mother founders have a lot to say.

"As women we have had the same challenges as anyone else: understanding a changing environment with many peculiarities, adapting and learning a little bit about almost everything almost overnight". They defend that although in this aspect entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs have the same challenges, being women entrepreneurs they also face other kinds of tests. "We need a constant exercise of filtering information and not letting ourselves be infected many times by situations in which we don't feel comfortable. Women entrepreneurs are not better or worse, but we have different perspectives on how the sector can work. Remembering Gloria Steinem's phrase, "It's not about dividing up the cake, you have to make a new one".

 Although as women it is a little more difficult to find references in this ecosystem, Nazareth and Angélica are clear that every day there are more examples of leaders they follow and are inspired by. "From Carlota Pi to Fuencisla Clemares, through Nerea Luis, Helena Torras or Alicia Rubí. But we are also very inspired by the more anonymous ones, the colleagues on campus, the mothers we talk to every day and who set up a business to reconcile life and work."

 Do you want to know her recommendation for other women who are thinking about entrepreneurship?

 "We would tell them to go for it without fear. If we are able to see that small and big failures are what make us strong, we would lose all fears. For us, overcoming the major blockage of low self-confidence has been a decisive and liberating step. Our internal motivation and mutual trust when you surround yourself with a good team, makes us capable of facing anything. We believe that we are better entrepreneurs because we are women and mothers. It makes us more efficient and relativized. It's not an easy road, but it pays off when we think we can improve the lives of parents and their children and inspire other women with our work."

María Luque and Xandra Extabe

Uelz

María and Xandra are the founders of UelzUelz, a platform that allows companies to manage, automate and reconcile the collections of their customers in an easy and secure way, without the need for technical knowledge. They are currently working from the offices of Angels (Marina de Empresas) in Valencia and growing steadily.

 "Every day is a challenge. The first is that we are in an industry where women are in the minority and generating authority and becoming visible we believe is more complicated, which is necessary to be able to generate clients, reputation and get funding." 

In María's case, the women who have inspired her the most are her grandmother and her mother, "they are two people who have achieved what they have through hard work, confidence in their ability and courage in taking on the challenges that life has given them". In Xandra's case it has been her professor of general management at the University, the head of the department of entrepreneurship at the University of the Basque Country, "she was the first woman who helped me understand that women can also lead companies and helped me to empower myself in that sense."

 Here is her advice to other entrepreneurs: "You have to take action as quickly as possible because it is the only way to learn. No one will be able to prepare you better for this than the experience you gain every day. Taking action, spending very little and surrounding yourself with the right people are the first 3 key steps."

If you also have a project in mind and want to carry it out, no doubt the testimony of these women will have been inspiring for you. The call for the 20th edition of the Madrid Startup SchoolThe call for applications for the 20th edition of the Madrid Startup School, the program through which all these women entrepreneurs passed, is open until March 25, 2020. We look forward to hearing about your projects!