Offers for female founders

Although a lot is happening, female founders are still underrepresented in the start-up ecosystem. We want to change this - with offers that specifically strengthen, connect and accompany you on your way. We create space for your ideas - especially for female founders at H-BRS!

Only 18.8% of all startup founders in Germany are female - a step backwards compared to previous years. At the same time, many women only discover entrepreneurship for themselves later and more often see work-life balance and security as obstacles. These are some of the alarming findings from the Female Founders Monitor 2025 (published by the Startup-Verband together with the Bertelsmann Stiftung).

This is precisely where we at Start-up-Manufaktur come in: With formats that offer opportunities for exchange, inspiration and hands-on support. And with role models who prove: There is another way to start a business - and it can be done together.

Female Founders Monitor 2025

What we offer

AWAKE - The start-up programme of the H-BRS

AWAKE is our special programme for women at H-BRS who are interested in starting their own business. Over the course of several months, participants meet inspiring personalities, receive targeted support and develop their ideas further. As financial support, the female founders also receive a three-month scholarship and an allowance for materials, coachings, etc. to further advance their project. (AWAKE is funded by the BMWK's EXIST Women programme)

All information about the AWAKE programme

Kick-off of the 2nd cohort on 1 April 2025

Abschlussveranstaltung AWAKE Start-up-Manufaktur

Advice for female founders - personal & customised

Have you got an idea for a business you'd like to start, or are you just toying with the idea? If so, you've come to the right place. In our one-to-one start-up counselling session, we will assess your current situation and identify your needs, whether you are just starting out or already have concrete plans. We will consider your perspective as a founder and discuss topics such as financing, team building, work-life balance and potential funding sources. The counselling is free, confidential and tailored to you. Get in touch today by email or via our contact form.

Registration for the start-up consultation

Overview of our counselling services

CENTIM start-up manufaktur planung whiteboard 20220519 foto eric lichtenscheidt 01 fs22.jpg

Events

From networking events to role model talks and deep dives on female leadership - our events connect you with like-minded women eager to make a difference. Here, you will find a space for discussion, real-life stories and fresh ideas.

Overview of all Start-up-Manufaktur events

Female Founders Meet-up with Kardiocura on 24 June

Stories of female founders

When you enter the small Café Meramanis on Hansaring in Cologne, you immediately notice the wall-sized work of art on the right-hand side. It tells the story of Kissia and her four companions and their love of coffee. The mural depicts astronauts in a coffee cosmos whose helmets look like coffee cups because the artist thought "that we only have coffee on our minds," explains Kissia, a young woman from Indonesia who is studying Business Management at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg.

Read the full article.