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Female Founders

© Mediaserver Hamburg / Christian Brandes | Mediaserver

Hamburg empowers Female Entrepreneurs

Women have innovation potential, but still rarely dare to take the step into self-employment. The proportion of female founders in Germany and Hamburg is growing steadily, but women are still underrepresented in the startup scene. Most startups are founded by men, especially the capital-intensive ones.

Strengthening support structures for women founders in Hamburg

The Hamburg Senate has therefore decided to set up a female founders programme and to provide even more support for female founders in Hamburg, for example in the areas of financing and law. Female founders events are also intended to facilitate the exchange and networking of female founders with each other and with investors.

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© Mathias Jäger/Hamburg Startups: the finalists of Female StartAperitivo 2022
© Mathias Jäger/Hamburg Startups: the finalists of Female StartAperitivo 2022

Female Founders in Hamburg

Hamburg is home to many female founders who have successfully developed their business idea into a profitable company. Traceless materials by Anne Lamp and Johanna Baare, for example, offers an alternative to plastics based on natural ingredients.

At the deep-tech startup ai-omatic, the founding team includes one woman and two men. It has launched a cloud-based software solution for predictive maintenance of machines.

Learn more about female founders

Quotes

Daniela Arango

CPO Lignopure

“To all female founders: Trust yourselves and the work you have done. Don't be afraid to demonstrate this and build on it.”
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©Lignopure

Hanna Asmussen

CEO Localyze

“Hamburg has really proven to be a gateway to the world for us. An important milestone in 2019 was our participation in the Next Commerce Accelerator. Even though we are now internationally successful, our large Hamburg network, especially in HR, is still of great importance.”
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© Localyze: Hanna Asmussen
© Localyze: Hanna Asmussen

Anusha Akkina

Co-Founder - Aurelytix

“I chose Hamburg – international, pragmatic, and with a true “get-it-done” spirit. As a migrant, I bring new perspectives and strong determination. The Startup Unit and local founders were my compass in the early days. My tip: actively ask for intros and join meetups – those who reach out openly find support quickly.”

Lena Weirauch

Founder & CEO of ai-omatic

“The Hamburg startup scene is very familiar, people support each other where they can. That applies to the startups among themselves and equally to the city initiatives. This cohesion has helped us a lot in the development of ai-omatic!”
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Angela Relógio

Founder of TimeTeller

“We are totally well supported in Hamburg. It's better than I've ever experienced before. The networks work really well. I feel a real culture of welcome here, because the city and the people are very open and warm-hearted. Everything runs very professionally here, and I can see that a lot of people are working here to move the city forward. We have found our home port.”
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Anne Lamp

CEO of traceless

“Sustainable, ecological solutions require not only green startups like us, but also committed partners from industry and impulses from science and politics. Only together can we solve the complex challenges of our time.”
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traceless Founder Anne Lamp
© traceless/Marc Schultz-Coulon

Startups & Corporates

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Funding & Investors

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to the Investors search

3 questions for investor Heidrun Twesten

Heidrun Twesten, CEO of Impacct GmbH, advises startups on transformation, investor relations, and capital market strategies - and knows how to turn ideas into successful funding stories.

As an investor and business angel, she shares in this video what she looks for in startups: strong teams, clear vision, and scalable business models.

Support Programmes & Organizations

  • Universities

    University of Europe for
    Applied Sciences (UE)

    The University of Europe for Applied Sciences is a state-recognised private university with campuses in Berlin, Potsdam ("UE Innovation Hub"), Hamburg, Iserlohn and the Virtual Campus ("Campus in the cloud"). The...
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  • Incubators, Accelerators & Company Builder

    Startup Port

    Bundles the foundation services offered by Hamburg's universities and research institutions, such as coaching, consulting, networking and best practice.
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  • Public Organizations

    IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH

    We support Hamburg’s startups. We have already financed more than 300 startups by grants and venture capital. IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH is therefore the most active investor for Hamburg´s startups. With InnoFounder, InnoRampUp and the...
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  • Non-Profits

    Food Cluster Hamburg

    Founded on 2 September 2024, the Food Cluster Hamburg is the central platform for the food industry in the metropolitan region. Our goal is to bring companies, research institutions, start-ups, and policymakers closer together in order...
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Innovative female entrepreneurs

The share of women among startup founders in Germany is still comparatively low. Many women face the dual challenge of building a company while balancing family life. However, female founders often take a more sustainable approach to business, focusing on social impact, ecological responsibility, and long-term value creation. This perspective is essential for shaping the economy of the future – and it deserves even greater encouragement and visibility.

Successful female entrepreneurs in Hamburg already demonstrate that women are made for entrepreneurship. Their stories serve as powerful inspiration for other women who want to take the leap into self-employment and turn their ideas into successful, future-oriented businesses.

Get to know female entrepreneurs

Quotes

Lucy Larbi

Initiator of AiDiA

“Hamburg has a special significance for us, especially as Hamburg is the hometown of many AiDiA members and has great potential to become Germany's innovation city. We look forward to making our contribution along the way.”
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Sowmya Thyagarajan

Founder of Foviatech

“Despite many opportunities abroad, Hamburg’s international and industrial character makes it the perfect fit for us. From an aviation perspective, it’s an ideal location. And I love the Alster and Landungsbrücken — especially at sunset.”
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Sowmya Thyagarajan, founder of Foviatech
Sowmya Thyagarajan, founder of Foviatech, © Johannes Arlt/laif:

Miriam Schütt

Founder of SofaConcerts

“I couldn't imagine a better city for SofaConcerts. There is a great cultural landscape here, many of our international artists stop in Hamburg and drop by our office, and the startup scene is also very lively and helpful. People know and support each other. I can only recommend Hamburg as a startup location!”
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Miriam Schütt, Founder of SofaConcerts
©FrauSiemersFotografiert: Miriam Schütt

Madeleine von Hohenthal

Co-Founder of Bracenet

“Bracenet strives to protect the oceans and reduce plastic waste. Hamburg offers us the perfect environment to further our mission and raise awareness for environmental protection. The proximity to the water and the city's and people's commitment to sustainability fit perfectly with our values and goals.”
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©Maximilian Baier: Madeleine von Hohenthal, Co-Founder Bracenet
©Maximilian Baier: Madeleine von Hohenthal, Co-Founder Bracenet

Tulika Raj

CEO SunGreenH2

“Hamburg's special location, the logistics, all this fits together very well. We can imagine coming for the long term and building something up in Hamburg.”
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Tulika Raj, CEO of SunGreenH2 at Plug&Play 2022
© Hamburg Invest: Tulika Raj at Plug&Play 2022

Britta Wiebe

Co-Founder & CEO of Vulvani

“Hamburg is a great place for us to start up. We were supported from the beginning by different regional programmes, such as InnoFounder, Hamburg Startups or Startup Port. It’s good to be connected to the local startup ecosystem.”
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Britta Wiebe, Founder of the startup Vulvani
© Vulvani

Support for female migrant founders

Women with migration backgrounds bring unique perspectives and international experience to Hamburg’s startup ecosystem. To support them in realizing their business ideas, the ASM – Agency for Startups and Migration offers targeted advice, mentoring, and funding opportunities. The initiative helps female founders navigate legal and financial challenges, strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, and connect with Hamburg’s diverse innovation community.

By empowering women from all backgrounds to start their own businesses, Hamburg strengthens its position as a hub for female entrepreneurship and innovation. Supporting women founders – including those with migration backgrounds – not only enriches the city’s startup ecosystem but also drives diversity, creativity, and sustainable growth. With initiatives like the ASM – Agency for Startups and Migration and its programm 'Migrant Female Business (MiFeB)' Hamburg is fostering an inclusive startup culture where every woman has the opportunity to turn her vision into a successful business.

more info for international founders in hamburg

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