What WA4STEAM does

WA4STEAM (legal name: Asociación Women Angels For Steam – WA4STEAM) is a Barcelona-headquartered non-profit association founded in 2018 under Spanish Organic Law 1/2002. Its mission is to expand the presence of women-led startups in STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Architecture, Mathematics) and to grow the population of women business angels. The association serves two distinct customer cohorts: women entrepreneurs in STEAM raising pre-seed/seed capital (≤€8M pre-money, Spain/Eurozone-incorporated, ≥20% female equity) and women professionals seeking to deploy capital as business angels in those startups. The organization does not build technology products and does not act as a fund; its "platform" consists of a structured investment pipeline (application → pre-filtering → Pipeline Deal Flow presentations → volunteer-led due diligence → legal execution → post-investment monitoring), a sponsorship-based membership admission process with two annual entry periods (January and May), and recurring flagship community events including the Female Founders Forum, the WA4STEAM Futures Forum, and the biennial WA4STEAM Awards.

The revenue model is non-profit and membership-fee-based with annual billing; the association does not earn carried interest or management fees on investments made by individual members. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Members invest their own capital and own their equity stakes individually; WA4STEAM receives no equity from portfolio companies. By December 2024, members had cumulatively invested €3.2 million across 36 women-founded startups at an average ticket of ~€85,000, against a network described as 50+ active members on the home page but over 160 members across 11 countries in later partnership announcements. Three-to-four exits are recorded to date (GoodGut 2021, Innovamat 2022, 3Dclick 2024, TeamEQ 2025). Governance sits with a General Assembly and Executive Committee; Eli Abad was elected President in 2024, succeeding Blanca Ochoa, with Regina Llopis serving as President of Honour. Distribution and marketing rely on a bilingual (ES/EN) website, LinkedIn/X organic presence, owned events, press/earned media, and a growing partner ecosystem that now includes COFIDES, ESADE, AEBAN, Wayra, Rothschild & Co, ISDI, and Baker McKenzie.

Name

WA4STEAM

Legal name

Asociación Women Angels For Steam – WA4STEAM

Website

https://wa4steam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WA4STEAM is a Barcelona-based non-profit association, founded in 2018, that mobilizes women business angels to invest pre-seed/seed capital (≤€8M pre-money) into women-led startups in STEAM fields across 11 countries, deploying €3.2M cumulatively into 36 companies and operating a membership-based investment pipeline with flagship events and institutional sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: WA4STEAM is a non-profit association. Revenue is generated through membership fees from women business angels. Individual angels make their own investment decisions and own their investment returns/equity directly. The association does not take carried interest or management fees from investments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WA4STEAM is a non-profit association of women business angels that invests in and supports early-stage, women-led startups operating in STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Architecture, and Mathematics). The association provides a structured investment process — including application screening, pitch presentation at Pipeline Deal Flow meetings, volunteer-led due diligence, legal support, and post-investment monitoring — alongside strategic mentorship, networking, and community events. Membership is open to experienced women professionals who invest individually while benefiting from collective due diligence and shared expertise.

Product overview

WA4STEAM is a non-profit association of women business angels that operates as a network platform connecting women angel investors with early-stage STEAM startups founded by women. The core offering consists of the Women Angels Network providing investment services and community, startup investment facilitation through a structured funding process, annual recognition programs (WA4STEAM Awards), and networking events (Female Founders Forum). The organization is not a technology product company but rather an investment association facilitating capital deployment and mentorship to women-led startups in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Architecture, and Mathematics fields.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women Angels Membership Program
• Startup Investment Services
• WA4STEAM Futures Forum
• Female Founders Forum
• WA4STEAM Awards

Quantifiable outcome

• €3.2 million invested in 36 women-founded startups with €85K average ticket
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ESADEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESADE business school is listed as a collaborator/partner of WA4STEAM, providing academic and ecosystem support.
• AEBAN (Spanish Association of Business Angels Networks)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEBAN is listed as a collaborator of WA4STEAM, connecting the association with the broader Spanish business angels ecosystem.
• EngcastleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborator providing ecosystem support for WA4STEAM activities.
• ACCIÓ (Catalan Business Competitiveness Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACCIÓ, the Catalan business competitiveness agency, is listed as a collaborator supporting WA4STEAM's ecosystem.
• Col·legi d'Economistes de BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Barcelona Economists Professional Association is listed as a collaborator providing professional ecosystem support.
• Wayra (Telefónica Innovation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayra received the special WA4STEAM award in 2023 as the entity that best embodied the association's values. Listed as a collaborator/partner in the ecosystem.
• AF Impulsa VisiónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaboration partner of WA4STEAM Awards 2025.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Golden Seeds: US-based angel investing network exclusively focused on women-led companies, with a structured due diligence and pitch process highly analogous to WA4STEAM's Pipeline Deal Flow model. Both organizations curate and syndicate individual angel investments into women-led growth companies.
• Pipeline Angels: US-based membership network for women and non-binary angel investors deploying capital into early-stage, mission-driven companies. Closely comparable membership model and gender-lens investing thesis, with similar individual-ticket syndication approach.
• Astia: Global investor network (angel + VC) investing in women-led technology and life sciences companies. Comparable in its exclusive focus on women founders in STEM/STEAM-adjacent sectors and its curated access to high-growth ventures.
• Belle Capital USA: Angel fund investing exclusively in women-led early-stage companies, particularly in underserved regions of the US. Comparable in thesis (women-led only) and early-stage ticket profile, though Belle Capital operates a pooled fund structure.
• SoGal Ventures: Global venture firm and community built by and for diverse founders, with a focus on women and minority-led startups. Comparable in gender-lens investing thesis and community-driven deal sourcing, though SoGal operates a pooled fund rather than an association.
• AEBAN (Asociación Española de Business Angels Networks): Spanish national association of business angel networks of which WA4STEAM is itself a member. Provides ecosystem context, co-investment relationships, and best-practice sharing that directly shape WA4STEAM's operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Keiretsu Forum: One of the world's largest global angel investor networks with chapters across North America, Europe, and Asia. Comparable angel syndication model, but Keiretsu is generalist rather than women- or STEAM-focused.
• Female Founders Fund: US-based early-stage venture fund exclusively backing female founders. Shares the women-founder thesis but operates as a pooled fund with institutional check sizes rather than a membership-based angel association.
• EBAN (European Business Angels Network): Pan-European umbrella organization representing the broader business angel community. Comparable as the institutional context for angel investing standards in which WA4STEAM operates, but much broader scope than WA4STEAM's women-STEAM specialization.

Others

• Wayra (Telefónica Innovation): Telefónica's global startup accelerator and corporate venture arm, an ecosystem partner that has collaborated with WA4STEAM and received its 2023 special ecosystem award. Not a direct peer in deal model, but a key partner shaping WA4STEAM's startup ecosystem reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wa4steam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wa4steam

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments21 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WA4STEAM