Inspiring guests
In her opening speech, Minister Mona Neubaur called on all female founders: “Tell your story so that you can support and motivate those who are still preparing their start-ups behind the scenes. In today's world, it no longer makes sense for only men to be in the front row.” The two founders Katrin Reuter from trackle GmbH and Özlem Doger-Herter from ask-a-woman.com expressed similar sentiments in their keynote speeches. They shared helpful tips from their own start-up experiences. "There is a fine line between ‘pursuing a goal stringently’ and ‘responding flexibly to market changes’. You have to learn to try things out and also to discard them,“ said Katrin Reuter. And Özlem Doger-Herter emphasized: ”Find your own center and a clear head so you can really get started in your business.“ Both agreed on the importance of the right network, and Katrin Reuter was certain: ”Bonn is the place to be for networking." The participants certainly didn't need to be told twice on this evening, which provided ample opportunity for exchange and networking.
The most innovative startups founded by women in North Rhine-Westphalia
The best female founders from North Rhine-Westphalia pitched for the NRW Female Innovation Award 2025 and thus the title of the most innovative startup founded by women in North Rhine-Westphalia. Prize money sponsored by Sparkasse KölnBonn was awarded to the three winning start-ups. Founder Kathrin Schumilin from the University of Bonn and her start-up Mangolade were awarded second place and €1,000 in prize money. Mangolade aims to reduce food waste by recycling organic mango seeds. First place (€1,500 and a wild card for the SHEroes investment program) went to Pivio from Düsseldorf, which optimizes insurance and veterinary clinics with smart AI, and third place (€500) went to VitrofluidiX from Cologne, which has developed an organ-on-a-chip platform to reduce animal testing. The jury was very impressed by the quality of the pitches, as Sandra Speer, head of the enaCom Transfer Center and jury member, emphasized.
Networking and capital
But in addition to networking, the necessary capital is also essential for the success of a start-up. This can come, for example, in the form of funding or investments. “We have adapted the NRW start-up grant so that more women can benefit from it, for example with an extension in the event of the birth of a child. Because I am constantly being asked how it can be so difficult for women to access capital,” said Mona Neubaur. The new program “Investment SHEroes” from DIGITALHUB.DE, which was presented at the summit and ties in very well with other programs such as EXIST Women, is moving in a similar direction.
