November 2025 has been a month of remarkable progress for female founders in Europe, showcasing not only their ability to secure capital but also redefining what women-led startups can achieve. As someone with firsthand experience navigating the entrepreneurial space, I find the shift exciting and encouraging for women aspiring to make their mark in technology, sustainability, fintech, and beyond.
In my years as a founder, I bootstrapped my startups rather than raising external funding, but I remain deeply connected to the funding world through my role in developing Fe/male Switch, an incubator-style game that empowers women to step into STEM and entrepreneurship. Reviewing these funding rounds gives me insight into the evolving landscape and, most importantly, offers lessons for current and future female founders.
November Highlights: A Look at 10 Women-Led Rounds
Several European startups founded or co-founded by women achieved notable funding success last November. Let’s take a closer look at some standouts:
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Fit Collective
In the UK, Phoebe Gormley's pre-seed round of £3 million set a national record for a solo female founder. Fit Collective is tackling fashion tech with its AI-driven sizing solutions, helping brands cut garment returns by up to 30%. Learn more about Fit Collective’s AI sizing solution. -
Emm
Jenny Button raised $9 million in seed funding for her femtech startup that combines hardware and software with a smart menstrual cup. It gives users real-time cycle tracking and opens conversation around personalized health tracking. See more about the Emm smart menstrual cup. -
Digitail
Romanian founder Ruxandra Pui raised $23 million (Series B) for Digitail, an AI-powered veterinary practice software with telemedicine functionality already serving 10,000 vets worldwide. It's an inspiring example of applying machine learning to solve everyday business processes. Explore Digitail’s AI vet software. -
Deblock
Female co-founder Adriana Restrepo secured €30 million for Deblock’s on-chain banking system in a Series A round, breaking records for crypto-banking startups with substantive VC backing. The firm plans to scale from France to Germany and Ireland. Check updates on Deblock crypto-banking. -
DREV
Arelys Sosa raised €2.8 million in Sweden for green tech systems targeting battery waste management, a pertinent issue for the gigafactories springing up across the continent. Learn more about DREV's battery solutions.
Each one of these rounds not only brought revenue but solidified the foundation upon which impactful ventures can scale. Some were pioneering in their fields, like Emm breaking boundaries in femtech or Fit Collective redefining AI in fashion.
Common Mistakes Female Founders Can Dodge
From my perspective, one recurring challenge for women-led ventures is undervaluing their pitches. I’ve noticed founders often play down their confidence or overcompensate by loading their decks with irrelevant details. Investors respond to clarity and conviction. Here's where speaking the core of your audience’s concerns wins points.
Another issue? Lack of networking. While women excel at deep, small communities, expanding connections across industries can unlock unseen partnerships and funding opportunities.
Lastly, failing to embrace feedback during demos can cost a founder valuable takeaways. Don’t show defensiveness; listen, adapt, present stronger revisions.
How Women Entrepreneurs Can Excel Individually
If you’re building a business, my advice is simple. Run two scenarios for funding readiness. One where you engage VCs or angel networks, showing numbers tied to growth. Secondly, prep for bootstrapping, where thinking lean lets you identify what truly drives your customer base.
Second, find relatable peers to practice your deck pitch with. Every word counts, you want investors to believe not just in your potential but in your execution. Study others like Jenny Button or Adriana Restrepo, they’re proof that concise narratives seal the deal.
Lastly, pick offers wisely. VCs capable of nurturing your goals must match not only your immediate funding needs but share alignment on your views on growth versus control.
Lessons from Funding Wins
What stands out from November’s wins is diversification. Female founders aren’t just entering femtech or wellness anymore; they’re leading biotech, green innovation, SaaS platforms, and finance systems. This mirrors shifts in VC interest that increasingly sees women as creators, trailblazers beyond certain niches.
Market readiness, scale-up potential, and tech-focused solutions were dominant themes. Women-led startups not only attracted attention but offered models others can replicate while remaining aligned with their personal missions.
Finally, these successes prove timing matters. Align product launches with industry discussions or regulations shaping your audience. Take DREV’s green waste solutions, a direct response to growing concerns about clean energy’s overlooked byproducts. Being relevant is your best edge.
Wrapping Up with Purpose
I’m thrilled by how far women have come in fundraising. If you dream big but fear breaking barriers as a founder, just study November’s stats. Build authentic products wrapped around honesty but leave room for boldness in pitching.
To all future female founders, there’s space for you. Learn, adapt, grow, pitch, and scale. The path will challenge you but, more than ever, it will reward your persistence. Let’s build together.
Always happy to share,
Violetta Bonenkamp
Serial Entrepreneur
FAQ
1. Which female founder set a record for the UK’s largest pre-seed round in November 2025?
Phoebe Gormley set a national pre-seed record for the UK by raising £3 million for fashion tech startup Fit Collective. Learn more about Fit Collective
2. What innovative product did Jenny Button's startup Emm launch?
Jenny Button launched a smart menstrual cup with real-time cycle tracking, which secured $9 million in seed funding. Discover Emm's smart menstrual cup
3. How much funding did Digitail raise in its Series B round?
Romanian founder Ruxandra Pui raised $23 million for Digitail, an AI-powered veterinary practice software. Explore Digitail's AI-driven solution
4. Which sectors did women-led startups excel in during November 2025?
Women-led startups excelled in sectors like AI, fintech, cleantech, femtech, and SaaS, demonstrating diverse market penetration.
5. What breakthroughs were achieved in the cleantech sector by female founders?
Arelys Sosa from Sweden raised €2.8 million for DREV's green tech system, targeting battery waste management challenges. Learn about DREV's sustainability solutions
6. What major milestone did Deblock achieve in the crypto-banking space?
Adriana Restrepo co-founded Deblock, securing €30 million in Series A funding to expand an on-chain banking system across Europe. Check updates on Deblock crypto-banking
7. How did Fit Collective leverage AI in fashion technology?
Fit Collective developed AI-driven sizing solutions to reduce garment returns by up to 30%, marking a significant advancement in fashion tech. Learn more about Fit Collective’s AI sizing solution
8. What notable funding trend was observed in November 2025 for female founders?
Female founders raised over €100 million across diverse sectors, showcasing increased investor confidence in women-led ventures.
9. Which investors actively supported female-led startups in November 2025?
Top VCs like Speedinvest, Five Elms Capital, and Index Ventures emerged as prominent supporters of female founders in funding rounds.
10. How has the female entrepreneurship landscape evolved according to the November 2025 spotlight?
European women have broken through traditional niches, excelling in biotech, fintech, and sustainability, and influencing investor trends significantly.
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.
