Gender equality is an ongoing social, economic, and human rights issue. We all want to live in a world where, regardless of the gender with which you identify, you have the same opportunities afforded to you. We found several startups that are working to advance gender equality across the globe. From garment manufacturing upskilling to high-tech breast pumps, these are some of the top startups advancing gender equality for you to keep an eye on.
Companies Advancing Gender Equality
Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up several startup companies advancing gender equality that startup-lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.
Disclaimer: With so many exciting startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.
1. Equilo
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Founder(s): Jessica Menon, Patricia T. Morris, Rachel Elsinga
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Grant, $224,800
- Investors Include: National Science Foundation
Equilo describes itself as a disruptive social inclusion and gender equality analysis application. This gender equality startup is the brainchild of a gender specialist who found that the manual method of conducting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) analysis simply did not produce real-time results. Consequently, Equilo now provides a range of free, open-source GESI analysis tools and advanced GESI analytics products to expedite this valuable process.
2. Equalista
- Location: Germany
- Founder(s): Louisa Wiethold, Theresa Kauffeld
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Grant, Undisclosed
- Investors Include: The Dutch Research Council (NWO)
Equalista is an innovative, German-developed mobile application dedicated to promoting gender equality through interactive learning. The app aims to educate users about the roots and manifestations of gender inequality, fostering open dialogue on these critical issues.
It offers features to help individuals recognize and challenge their own biases while also providing practical training on how to take meaningful action in real-world situations. By combining education, self-reflection, and actionable strategies, Equalista empowers users to become active participants in the ongoing struggle for gender equality.
3. Shimmy Technologies
- Location: Brooklyn, New York
- Founder(s): Sarah Krasley
- Founded In: 2016
- Funding: Seed, Undisclosed
- Investors Include: Springboard Enterprises, New York Fashion Tech Lab
Shimmy Technologies, also known as Shimmy UpSkill, is a gender equality startup focusing on the garment manufacturing industry. The startup hopes to provide the predominantly-female garment manufacturing workforce with viable options as the industry shifts toward greater automation and job opportunities are reduced.
Shimmy’s learning software uses gaming mechanics and AI to teach workers 3D modeling and digital pattern making. This for-profit company currently partners with government departments, foundations, nonprofits, apparel companies, and tech companies and hopes to raise an additional $14 million in funding to carry out future projects.
4. Ellevest
- Location: New York, New York
- Founder(s): Sallie Krawcheck, Dr. Sylvia Kwan
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series B, $153.4 Million
- Investors Include: Salesforce Ventures, Stardust Equity, Pivotal Ventures
Ellevest is a digital investment platform specifically designed to address the unique financial challenges faced by women. The company uses algorithm-based investing strategies that take into account factors like gender pay gaps, career breaks, and longer life expectancies. Ellevest offers personalized investment portfolios, retirement planning, and coaching services to help women build wealth and achieve their financial goals.
5. Neopenda
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Founder(s): Sona Shah, Teresa Cauvel
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Seed, $2.75 Million
- Investors Include: Techstars, MassChallenge, Sunu Capital
Neopenda is a tech startup with a focus on gender equality through healthcare. The company aims to innovate needs-based medical technologies for use in high-growth emerging markets. One such product is an affordable neonatal monitoring device for use by expectant mothers in areas where pregnancy care is not easily accessible. This service aims to reduce the nearly 3 million infant deaths that occur annually in low-resource areas, predominantly due to a lack of access to monitoring services.
6. Natural Cycles
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- Founder(s): Elina Berglund, Raoul Scherwitzl
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series C, $99 Million
- Investors Include: Samsung Ventures, Heartcore Capital, EQT Ventures
Natural Cycles is a startup seeking to advance gender equality by putting control of pregnancy prevention and planning back in the hands of women. The company’s primary product is a contraceptive app that has been FDA-approved to spearhead the development of digital contraception. By measuring body temperature each morning and combining this with collected cycle data through the Natural Cycles app, women can track their fertility cycles easily and prevent pregnancy in a hormone-free way.
7. She’s A Crowd
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Founder(s): Zoe Condliffe
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Seed, $50,000
- Investors Include: BlueChilli, Hatcher+, Artesian Venture Partners
She’s A Crowd was initially funded by the Australian gender equality startup accelerator She Starts. The platform aims to collect stories from women around the world about their experiences with gender-based domestic violence with the goal of using this data to make women safer. The app also puts women in touch with resources to help them when they are in danger or to empower them to make better choices.
8. SATYA MicroCapital
- Location: New Delhi, India
- Founder(s): Vivek Tiwari
- Founded In: 2016
- Funding: Series C, $116 Million
- Investors Include: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Finnfund, responsAbility Investments
SATYA MicroCapital is an Indian startup focused on helping women in rural areas to access microlending by allowing them to share liability with others. The company saw the particular need for this service in 2020 when self-employed Indian women struggled significantly under pandemic-induced economic instability. The company claims to currently back women in 27,835 villages across India.
9. Education Cannot Wait
- Location: New York, New York
- Founder(s): Yasmine Sherif
- Founded In: 2016
- Funding: Grant, $285.4 Million
- Investors Include: Save the Children Uganda, UNICEF, Government of France
Education Cannot Wait is a global fund startup aimed at closing the gap in educational opportunities for children and adults in low-income and war-torn countries. The organization acknowledges the significant ongoing problem with children not receiving adequate education in many areas of the world. In some cases, this is a social issue in which female children are not seen as needing formal education, and in other cases, unrest and war have delayed the delivery of educational services.
10. EnrichHER
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Founder(s): Roshawnna Novellus, Tiara Zolnierz
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Seed, $1.7 Million
- Investors Include: Google for Startups, Fearless Fund, Techstars
EnrichHER is an investment platform startup that seeks to stamp out gender equality in the business space by funding only female-led businesses. The startup doesn’t just focus on handing over money, though; it also provides coaching and other business-related resources to its clients to help give them their best chance at success.
11. Willow
- Location: Silicon Valley (Mountain View, California)
- Founder(s): John Chang, Josh Makower, Naomi Kelman
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series D, $254 Million
- Investors Include: Bossanova Investimentos, Alumni Ventures, Castor Ventures
Willow describes itself as a female technology company. Their main product is an in-bra wearable breast pump which helps to overcome one of the biggest issues new mothers face when returning to work or other daily activities after delivering a baby. The pump itself is different from almost anything else on the market in that it is self-contained with no tubes or other dangling bits that often force new moms to find secluded places, away from prying eyes, to pump breast milk.
12. Female Invest
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Founder(s): Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, Camilla Cloëtta Falkenberg, Emma Due Bitz
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Series A, $25 Million
- Investors Include: Rubio Impact Ventures, Educapital, Green Visor Capital
Female Invest is a financial education platform based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The startup aims to close the financial gender gap by providing women with accessible and engaging content about personal finance and investing. Female Invest offers online courses, webinars, and a community platform to empower women to take control of their financial futures and build lon-term wealth.
13. Fairygodboss
- Location: New York, New York
- Founder(s): Georgene Huang, Romy Newman
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series A, $17.1 Million
- Investors Include: Signal Peak Ventures, GSV Ventures
Fairygodboss, acquired by The Muse, is a career community and job board platform founded in 2015 by Georgene Huang and Romy Newman. The website provides a space for women to share anonymous reviews about their employers, focusing on factors like work-life balance, maternity leave policies, and opportunities for advancement. Fairygodboss also offers job listings, career advice, and resources to help women navigate their professional lives and make informed decisions about their careers.
14. Mahmee
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Founder(s): Linda Hanna, Melissa Hanna, Sunny Walia
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series A, $14 Million
- Investors Include: She Raises Capital, Muse Capital, Backstage Capital
Mahmee is a comprehensive maternal healthcare platform that aims to improve outcomes for new mothers and babies. The startup provides a digital tool that connects patients, healthcare providers, and caregivers to streamline coordination of care during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Mahmee’s services include personalized health tracking, access to maternal health experts, and data-driven insights to identify potential health risks early. By focusing on continuity of care and proactive support, Mahmee works to address disparities in maternal health outcomes.
15. Winx Health
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Founder(s): Cynthia Plotch, Jamie Norwood
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Seed, $8 Million
- Investors Include: Resolute Ventures, SWAT Equity Partners, Kerry Washington
Winx Health (formerly Stix) is a women’s health company that offers direct-to-consumer reproductive and vaginal health products. The startup focuses on providing discreet, convenient access to essential health items like pregnancy tests, ovulation tests, and urinary tract infection (UTI) products. Winx Health aims to destigmatize women’s health issues by offering high-quality products paired with educational content. The company’s online platform provides a judgment-free space for women to access necessary health products and information.