Europe has always been an innovation powerhouse, but recent conversations at the How to Web conference in Bucharest indicate that tighter collaboration and actionable solutions could take its potential to new heights. As someone who bootstrapped my own startups, including creating the Fe/male Switch, I could deeply relate to the panel’s insights and challenges discussed during the “Keep Building” roundtable. If you’re navigating European innovation as a female entrepreneur, this article will break down key lessons, common pitfalls, and steps to solidify your strategy.
Pan-European Cooperation Makes the Difference
One noticeable takeaway from the roundtable was a call for pan-European collaboration beyond individual ecosystems. With the European tech industry contributing about 15% of GDP by 2025, Europe is seeing unprecedented growth, but fragmentation remains its Achilles’ heel.
The EU-INC initiative stood out as a gamechanger. It aims for a single legal framework where startups can incorporate once, simplifying what is currently a bureaucratic maze across 27 legal systems. Imagine raising capital in a borderless Europe without being slowed down by inconsistent regulation. You’d save energy and resources that could instead be reinvested into developing your product or scaling up operations.
For entrepreneurs starting out, consider exploring organizations like EU-INC to navigate this evolving landscape.
Early-Stage Funding Woes
While venture capital investments in deep technologies, like AI and quantum computing, are growing, up from 19% in 2021 to 36% in 2025, Europe is still faltering at the earliest stages of funding. Karol Lasota from Inovo VC nailed it when he talked about European investors leaning more toward proven ideas rather than taking risks with startup founders still crafting their vision.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for solopreneurs like me. When you’re managing everything, from legal paperwork to customer development, having capital to test ideas is crucial. This lack of early-stage support forces many brilliant entrepreneurs to either bootstrap longer, which I know firsthand, or chase American investors.
Startups looking to tackle this could benefit from cross-border funding platforms, such as angel investor networks or community-led funds.
Mistakes to Avoid
Here are missteps I see female entrepreneurs make when diving into innovation in Europe:
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Overlooking partnerships: Europe thrives on community. A startup founder reviewing her business idea solo might overlook how partnerships with accelerators, smaller firms, or even local governments can catalyze growth.
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Ignoring diversity’s impact: Europe’s cultural diversity is immense. Whether your business involves something as universal as fintech or as niche as gaming, ensuring your product resonates across different cultures guarantees more sustainable scaling.
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Lack of clarity on regulations: Liability laws or trade rules across EU member states can surprise you unless you’ve extensively researched beforehand.
If you’re interested in avoiding legal headaches during the early days, the European Startup Embassy is a great resource to explore global expansion tailored to European needs.
Applying the Lessons
Perhaps the most exciting part of the conference was hearing Vladimira Cincurova’s actionable suggestions for bridging gaps between Europe and the U.S. As execution-focused founders, we know how intimidating it can be to think about international markets, but Cincurova showed it’s not about moving immediately, it’s about preparing strategically long before you need to expand.
For female entrepreneurs itching to cross the Atlantic, Cincurova’s newly launched European Startup Embassy in San Francisco offers invaluable mentorship for scaling while staying true to European roots.
A Step-by-Step Guide for Navigating Innovation in Europe
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Understand your funding stage: If you’re still validating your idea, focus on accelerators or grants rather than pursuing traditional VCs. At later stages, look into funds targeting deep tech solutions, like Inovo VC.
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Connect locally and globally: Don’t shy away from engaging in continent-wide initiatives like EU Startup Nations or diaspora networks. These communities may provide market insights or mentorship that a hyper-local group can’t.
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Use trusted tools: Set yourself up for success early on. Experiment with AI-based planning platforms or incubators driven by founders themselves. The F/MS Startup Game, for instance, ensures that every participant gets hands-on experience in entrepreneurship by tackling realistic business challenges.
Navigating the Challenges
Here’s what I would recommend as a female founder when aiming for success in Europe:
- Leverage cross-cultural insights: Women in tech, regardless of location, share unique hurdles, but cross-culture perspectives will help you adapt dynamically.
- Find experts, not followers: Partner with professionals who challenge your ideas constructively.
- View regulatory obstacles as long-term planning tools: While EU-wide legal frameworks might simplify setups soon, understanding member state specifics could give your business an edge.
What’s Next?
Europe’s innovation story is evolving, evidenced by high-growth sectors such as AI, biotech, and fintech. The opportunity here isn’t just about taking part but leading the way with collaborative solutions. As female entrepreneurs shaping the next decade, let’s keep building with courage, community, and clarity.
FAQ
1. How can collaboration boost European innovation?
Pan-European collaboration can help overcome fragmentation, simplifying operations and enabling startups to scale faster across borders. EU-INC drives this with a unified legal entity initiative. Learn more about EU-INC
2. What are the key advantages of the EU-INC initiative?
EU-INC aims to provide a single European legal framework for startups, making incorporation easier and reducing regulatory hurdles. Learn more about EU-INC
3. What is the impact of Europe’s tech sector on its GDP?
The European tech sector is projected to contribute 15% to the GDP by 2025, demonstrating the region’s growth and innovation potential. Explore the State of European Tech
4. How are early-stage startups in Europe funded?
Early-stage funding in Europe is challenging as investors lean towards proven ideas. Cross-border funding platforms and angel investor networks can help improve access to capital. Discover Inovo VC
5. How can female startup founders scale internationally?
Female founders can strategically prepare for international expansion with resources like the European Startup Embassy, providing mentorship and access to global networks. Explore the European Startup Embassy
6. Why is deep tech investment increasing in Europe?
European venture capital in deep tech, including AI and quantum computing, is projected to grow to 36% of total VC investment by 2025, up from 19% in 2021, emphasizing innovation in emerging technologies. Learn about Inovo VC’s focus on deep tech
7. What common mistakes do European entrepreneurs make?
Overlooking partnerships and diversity’s impact, and underestimating regulatory challenges are common pitfalls. Collaborative initiatives like accelerators and diaspora networks can address these.
8. How does Vladimira Cincurova’s initiative support European startups?
The European Startup Embassy in San Francisco bridges gaps between Europe and the U.S., helping founders access mentorship and expand strategically. Learn more about the European Startup Embassy
9. What are practical tools for founders in Europe?
Tools like AI-based planning platforms and incubators provide hands-on entrepreneurial support. The F/MS Startup Game, for example, teaches real-world problem-solving.
10. Why is cultural diversity important for scaling startups?
Europe’s cultural diversity ensures that products resonate with various markets, enabling sustainable growth and broader appeal across regions.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
