WomenEntrepreneurs4Good: Throwback to the Women’s Forum
As 2023 was coming to an end, the WomenEntrepreneurs4Good (WE4G) program reached new heights! For its 3rd edition, it was for the very first time open to all women entrepreneurs across the globe. The partners of this online accelerator program created a one-of-a-kind experience for its 10 laureates: bringing them together physically, in Paris, for three amazingly rich and insightful days. The highlight of their visit was undoubtedly the pitching contest held at the Women’s Forum Global Meeting.
Let’s first meet the 10 laureates!
From 800 applications, down to 200 startups selected to take part in the first round of the WE4G - involving online masterclasses and a Startup Sprint - the WE4G certainly delivered the impact and ambition it was aiming at. This first stage of the program ended with an online pitch session in front of a jury to select the 10 finalists of the WE4G program.
Selected for their innovative solutions, here are the 10 laureate startups of the 2023 WE4G edition:
BAOM Eco Solution, a biotech start-up that focuses on growing biofilms that mimic ordinary packaging materials currently on the market. Melian Dott & Chloe Cormack (South Africa)
Femfree, the trusted digital companion for maternity care professionals and their patients.Marie Rasmont (Netherlands)
Intacte, the solution for premium and luxury beauty brands to revalue their unsold stock." Gabrielle Flipo & Olivia Bally (France)
My Medic Eye, a solution that lets you keep an eye on your family's health with an intelligent folder that belongs to you. Yael Azagury (Spain)
Mywagepay, the neobank built for Africa. Beth Mwangi (Kenya)
Pop2see, which aims to build equitable, inclusive & accessible environments to empower blind people and make them become independent. Aliki Rangou (Greece)
Arena Recycling Industry, eco-bricks made from recycled plastic waste for construction activities. Hellena Sailas (Tanzania)
Revive Battery, a solution to mitigate the early death of lead-acid batteries and regenerate them 2-3 times for up to 90% of their original capacity. Ananta Vangmai (Netherlands)
Skills Centrum Rwenzori empowers women through skill development, information sharing, conferences, workshops, and economic independence. Janet Kabugho (Uganda)
Smart Cheli, a social enterprise working for creating gender balance in the STEM field. Pratiksha Pandey & Sulata Dhakal (Nepal)
The best of both the online and physical worlds
Picture this: 10 women who have been following the exact same program, only online, for seven months: WomenEntrepreneurs4Good. WE4G is a unique online accelerator programme dedicated to women entrepreneurs with early-stage green or social projects. These women come from 9 different countries, from Nepal to Uganda and Spain. As women entrepreneurs, they have been experiencing the same challenges as entrepreneurs, but all in different ways.
Through the program, they all benefited from the same opportunities: academic resources and a proven entrepreneurial methodology through tailor-made masterclasses, three months of incubation at HEC Paris, support from mentors from Bank of America, and access to a powerful ecosystem through four international partners - The Women’s Forum for the Global Economy, HEC Paris, Bank of America and Bredin Prat.
When asked about the program’s biggest takeaway, some women entrepreneurs vividly shared their gratitude and enthusiasm.
We received invaluable support from the mentors and expertise on do’s and don'ts when you do fundraising.
Helena Sailas, founder of Arena Recycling Industry
For Gabrielle Flipo & Olivia Bally, co-founders of Intacte, they “hugely benefited from the program’s wide network and from the two amazing female coaches that motivated them every day.” Thanks to the program, they now understand the importance of being surrounded with people who are competent and share one’s values.
Only one thing was missing to make the WE4G program complete. A physical reunion, in Paris. Complemented with a pitch contest at one of the biggest events of the year: The 2023 Women’s Forum Global Meeting, held on November 28-29. And thanks to the support of Air France, 9 of the 10 female-founded teams managed to fly to Paris.
Let’s follow the laureates’ incredible journey!
From across the globe to Paris
First stop: Station F, the world’s biggest startups campus, for a day of empowerment. After a warm welcome from HEC Paris, Bank of America & Bredin Prat, the laureates kicked off the day with a full visit of both Station F and the Incubateur HEC Paris, followed by a speed dating session with experts, startup managers & partners.
This hands-on session provided the startup founders with practical answers to their questions, and prepared them for their pitch practice. Held at Bredin Prat law offices, the women pitched their projects in front of their Bank of America mentors before joining a networking cocktail.
Speaking of the 3-day startup sprint that kicked off the program, Melian Dott, co-founder of BAOM Eco Solutions recalls, “We had such a high-impact weekend, we are thrilled by the experience and we have developed our skills so dramatically over those 72 hours.”
Creating momentum at the 2023 Women’s Forum Global Meeting
The last practice at Bredin Prat led the 9 laureates to the main objective: the pitching contest at the Women’s Forum Global Meeting. Each startup had 5 minutes to persuade the jury made up of:
- Alain Dolium, Founder and CEO, Technology4Humanity
- Clémence Fallet, Partner, Bredin Prat
- Isabelle Gelinet Vidal, Managing Director, Women’s Forum
- Inge Kerkloh-Devif, Senior Executive Director Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, HEC Paris
- Jerome Morisseau, Co-Head of Investment Banking France, Managing Director, Global Corporate and Investment Banking, Bank of America Europe DAC
The audience also had their say as the Jury Prize was complemented by an Audience prize… And both the jury and the audience were convinced by innovative and ecological solutions to replace and recycle plastic:
Jury Prize: BAOM Eco Solutions from South Africa, founded by Melian Dott & Chloe Cormack.
Vanessa Holtz, CEO BoA Securities Europe Country Executive France, Bank of America explained that “the juries were impressed by their creativity and innovation by producing an alternative that can be reproduced on a large scale.”
Audience Prize: Arena Recycling Industry founded by Helena Sailas from Tanzania.
Eloïc Peyrache, Dean of HEC Paris, concluded the pitch session with powerful words.
“I love those moments when you can feel such dynamism, enthusiasm & creativity, while tackling major social and economic environmental issues. I'm fascinated by these women entrepreneurs from all over the world and the impact of their projects.”
About the WomenEntrepreneurs4Good program
Initiated in 2021, the program has become highly competitive in just 2 years. Open to European startups at its beginning, it is now open worldwide. As Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, President of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, stated right before the winners’ announcement: “We wanted to get ambitious for this edition, and we did. WE4G is critical for women as it helps entrepreneurs take their rightful place in our economic system.”
The 2023 edition’s dizzying numbers reflect this ambition:
- 800 applications from 80 different countries
- 200 selected projects benefiting from a masterclass and an intensive startup with sprintHEC Paris
- 10 winning laureates
- 9 out of the 10 winning teams brought together for Demo Day at the Women’s Forum
With less than 30% of startups founded by women, and fewer opportunities when it comes to financing their project, HEC Paris wants to encourage women to become entrepreneurs and to innovate. Inge Kerkloh-Devif underlined, “At HEC Paris, we are convinced that the impact of entrepreneurship will shape the future of our economy and our society, and we need to have more women taking part in this.”
The 2024 edition is opening soon! If you are you are:
- A woman founder or co-founders, with at least 2 people in your team,
- Your project generates a revenue of less than €20,000 per year
- Your project is designed to tackle a social or environmental challenge
You can apply to the WomenEntrepreneurs4Good program from April 5. Registrations are now open!
> Find out more about the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute