fe:male innovation hub

What fe:male innovation hub does

fe:male Innovation Hub, operated by fem_hub GmbH, is a Düsseldorf-based education and community organization founded in 2016 (formalized as a GmbH in 2018) that supports women in starting digital-economy businesses across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its core service is an individual mentoring program paired with networking access to industry experts, companies, and investors, delivered through a portfolio of branded programs: fe:males in school (digital-skills workshops for students from 7th grade onward), Women Entrepreneurs in Science / fe:males in science (university mentoring network under the NRW 'Exzellenz Start-up Center.NRW'), fe:males in town (community barcamps for local founder ecosystems), fe:males in company (corporate diversity and digital-transformation consulting), and Girls in Finance & Startups (youth entrepreneurship program). Since 2018 the organization claims to have delivered over 100 workshops in computer science, media literacy, and technology.

The underlying technology stack is not a product platform but an operational layer for program delivery: in-person and online workshops, event logistics, mentoring matching, and a partner channel that includes STARTPLATZ Düsseldorf, zdi STEM centers, NRW universities, Eurowings Digital, HypoVereinsbank, IW Junior, Planerfolg GmbH, and Matrix GmbH. Distribution is direct-to-participant through workshops, events, barcamps, and a social-media presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. All programs are offered free of charge to participants, and no commercial pricing is publicly disclosed.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: primary income derives from the 'Exzellenz Start-up Center.NRW' initiative of the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy, and REACT-EU funding, with secondary in-kind support from corporate and ecosystem partners. The organization has 1–10 employees and is founder-managed by CEO/Founder Zerrin Börcek and CFO/Co-Founder Bettina Baum-Thelen. There is no disclosed institutional venture or private-equity backing, and the structure is best characterized as a quasi-public, founder-owned community intermediary rather than a venture-backable commercial entity.

Name

fe:male innovation hub

Legal name

fem_hub GmbH

Website

https://femaleinnovationhub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

fe:male Innovation Hub (fem_hub GmbH) is a Düsseldorf-based, grant-funded community and education organization that delivers mentoring, workshops, and networking programs to help women in North Rhine-Westphalia start digital-economy businesses, serving female students, founders, schools, corporates, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women-Focused Entrepreneurship and Digital Education Programs

NAICS

Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Digital Transactions & Online Services (eGov, Banking, Telehealth) (EDAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship programs
• Digital education workshops
• STEM diversity training
• Startup mentoring services
• Founder community events

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant and Government Funding: fe:male Innovation Hub is funded through grants including the 'Exzellenz Start-up Center.NRW' initiative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and REACT-EU funding programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

fe:male innovation hub is the first women-focused entrepreneurship and digital education hub in Germany, offering programs that span school workshops, university mentoring, community barcamps, and corporate diversity training to support women in launching businesses in the digital economy. The hub is operated by the legal entity fem_hub GmbH, based in Düsseldorf, and is primarily funded through government grants from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and REACT-EU.

Product overview

fe:male Innovation Hub is an educational and support organization (operated by fem_hub GmbH) that encourages women to start their own businesses in the digital economy. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including fe:males in school (digital workshops for students), Women Entrepreneurs in Science (WES - university network and mentoring), fe:males in town (community Barcamps), fe:males in company (corporate diversity training), Girls in Finance & Startups (youth entrepreneurship), and general events. These programs are supported by individual mentoring services and networking offerings that connect women with industry experts, companies, and investors across NRW, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women Entrepreneurs in Science (WES): A network for female entrepreneurs and startup-interested women at NRW universities, part of the Excellence Start-up Center.NRW initiative.
• Girls in Finance & Startups

Products and services

• fe:males in school School-based workshops and digital education sessions targeted at female students, designed to build early exposure to entrepreneurship, technology, and digital skills. Delivered directly through school partnerships.
• Women Entrepreneurs in Science (WES) A university-level network and program for female students at NRW universities that supports women in founding technology- and science-based ventures. Includes community, mentoring, and startup-oriented activities.
• fe:males in town Community barcamps and local meetups held in municipalities, designed to engage women in entrepreneurship and digital topics at the community level.
• fe:males in company Corporate diversity and inclusion offering that helps companies train and retain women in technology, digital, and entrepreneurship functions through structured in-company programs.
• Girls in Finance & Startups A specialized program focused on introducing young women to finance and startup topics, building foundational knowledge for entrepreneurship careers.
• Mentoring and Networking Programs Structured mentoring engagements and recurring networking events connecting aspiring and established women founders with peers, mentors, and ecosystem partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Female founders statistically proven to be even more successful than male founders

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Eurowings Digital GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2024Co-host partner for the 'Girls in Finance & Startups' program event on July 4, 2024, providing venue and industry exposure for the youth entrepreneurship program.
• Women Entrepreneurs in Science (WES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWES is a flagship project under the 'Exzellenz Start-up Center.NRW' initiative, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of NRW. The fe:male Innovation Hub serves as a central point of contact, providing founding expertise from initial consultation to startup formation, and supporting NRW universities in implementing offerings for founding-interested women.
• STARTPLATZ DüsseldorfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe fe:male Innovation Hub was originally initiated within STARTPLATZ Düsseldorf in November 2016. The partnership continues as a key ecosystem hub for female entrepreneurship in the region.
• STARTPLATZ DüsseldorfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe fe:male Innovation Hub was originally initiated within STARTPLATZ Düsseldorf in November 2016. The partnership continues as a key ecosystem hub for female entrepreneurship in the region.
• STARTUPDORFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup ecosystem partner supporting the female founder community in the region.
• zdi-Zentrum KölnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM education center partnership for youth outreach and digital skills programs.
• zdi-PortalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM portal partnership for promoting science and technology education.
• zdi-Düsseldorf (MINT Düsseldorf)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional STEM initiative partnership for youth engagement in Düsseldorf.
• Matrix GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner listed among the hub's ecosystem collaborators.
• Reach to Empower (RtE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmpowerment-focused initiative partner in the regional ecosystem.
• koeln.businessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCologne Economic Development partnership for supporting entrepreneurship in the region.
• Macherinnen CologneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's entrepreneurship network partner in Cologne.
• CODINGTOGO_DUSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoding initiative partner based in Düsseldorf supporting tech education programs.
• IW JuniorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic research institute junior division co-hosting the Girls in Finance & Startups program, providing educational content and credibility.
• HypoVereinsbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner supporting the Girls in Finance & Startups program, contributing financial industry expertise and visibility.
• Planerfolg GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAZAV-certified education provider offering individual coaching for business founding and career orientation. The partnership expands corporate program offerings with certified training measures available nationwide for job seekers and those seeking career reorientation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Ada Ventures: UK-based early-stage fund investing in high-potential underrepresented founders. Mission-aligned comparable in the female entrepreneurship space but operating as a venture fund rather than a programmatic hub.
• Female Founders Fund: US-based early-stage venture fund focused on female-founded companies. Shares the same mission (increasing female entrepreneurship) but operates as a fund rather than a non-equity hub, making it a thematic comparable.
• Foundervine: UK-based social enterprise running programs to support underrepresented founders including women. Comparable as a mission-driven ecosystem builder targeting similar demographics, although at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Antler: Global early-stage venture firm running cohort-based accelerator programs across multiple geographies including Germany. Comparable as a structured accelerator platform for early-stage founders, though not female-focused.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network with German presence offering mentorship-driven programs for early-stage startups. Comparable as a structured mentoring + ecosystem support operator but operating at much larger scale.
• UnternehmerTUM: Munich-based entrepreneurship center affiliated with TUM, offering startup programs, mentoring, and innovation support. Operates a broader (not female-only) model but represents the same German archetype of government-and-university-backed entrepreneurship hubs.

Direct peers

• STARTPLATZ Düsseldorf: Incubator and accelerator based in Düsseldorf where fe:male Innovation Hub was originally incubated. Operates a similar startup support and ecosystem-building model in the same NRW geography, serving as a direct comparable for regional entrepreneurship infrastructure.
• Founders Foundation: Bielefeld-based entrepreneurship support organization running accelerator-style programs and corporate innovation programs in Germany. Comparable in mission and structure to fe:male Innovation Hub, with a broader but similar programmatic approach.

Others

• BMZ (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit) Ecosystem Programs: German federal ministry running entrepreneurship-in-development programs. Indirectly comparable as a government funding/coordination actor funding similar entrepreneurship infrastructure.

Regional players

• Impact Hub Berlin: Berlin-based incubator and coworking operator serving impact-oriented entrepreneurs. Comparable as a community-driven German entrepreneurship hub, though broader in scope and not female-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/female_hub
• Facebookfacebook.com/femaleinnovationhub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/femaleinnovationhub
• Instagraminstagram.com/female_hub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about fe:male innovation hub