The University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) has analyzed around 4,000 companies and determined the sectors and countries in which most women start up companies

• Most start-ups in the software, artificial intelligence and information technology sectors
• Most women found companies in the USA (47%), India (10.5%) and the UK (6.8%)
• Germany in fourth place: 2.7% of companies were founded in this country

Berlin, August 15, 2024 – Women found the most companies in the software sector (22.6%). This is the conclusion reached by the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE), which examined 3,987 companies founded by women between 2022 and 2024. Most of the companies were established in the USA.

Female tech pioneers: women start up most frequently in the software sector
In the last two years, the software sector has proven to be the most popular area for female founders. Of the companies surveyed, over 900 – or 22.6 percent – were in the software sector. This means that this sector represents the largest proportion of all start-ups founded by women.
Another forward-looking area in which female founders are particularly active is artificial intelligence (AI). Around 15 percent of all female-led start-ups deal with this innovative technology. Information technology follows in third place, accounting for around 14% of start-ups.
The top five sectors are rounded off by healthcare (ten percent) and the software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector, which accounts for around eight percent of start-ups.

“The increase in women founding companies in forward-looking sectors such as software and artificial intelligence is not only a sign of progress, but also means that the tech sector is gaining in diversity and innovative strength thanks to female founders,” explains Prof. Dr. Jiré Emine Gözen, Vice President International and University Development and Professor of Media and Cultural Theory at UE Campus Berlin.

Most female-led start-ups are created in these countries
By far the most women have founded start-ups in the USA: Almost half of all founded companies (47 percent) since 2022 have been established in the United States.
India is a distant second, with just under 11% of start-ups founded by women. The top three is completed by the UK, where seven percent of companies were founded.

In the overall ranking, Germany takes fourth place with a share of around three percent, followed by Canada with just under three percent.

“The leading position of the USA, India and the UK in terms of female-led start-ups illustrates how important it is to create the right framework conditions for female founders. With its three percent in the overall ranking, Germany also has a solid presence, but there is still considerable potential to further strengthen the start-up dynamic. The comparison shows that Germany can learn from the successes of these pioneers in order to create an even more supportive environment for female founders in this country too,” continues Prof. Dr. Gözen.

About the study:
For the analysis, the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) examined 3,987 companies founded by women between 2022 and 2024. The data on the companies was taken from the Crunchbase website. For 3,455 companies, there is information on the headquarters.