Women in Business Network - WIB

What Women in Business Network - WIB does

Women in Business Network (WiB) is a non-profit initiative operated by Global Project Partners e.V. (GPP), a German eingetragener Verein registered in Berlin since 2001. WiB itself was established in 2004 to empower women entrepreneurs across the EMEA region. The organization functions as a coordinating network of 14+ women's business associations — including VdU (Germany), CNFCE (Tunisia), ABWA and BWE21 (Egypt), LLWB (Lebanon), SEVE (Algeria), WIC Senegal, WIC Côte d'Ivoire, and newer partners in Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Benin, and Jordan — connecting women-led businesses through training, B2B matchmaking, and market-access programs. Its flagship delivery vehicles are the WiB Academy (a portfolio of theme-specific programs including WiB Café, WiB Finance, Creative WiB, SheMadeIT, Women on Boards, Green WiB, WiB Agri, Skills WiB, and Digital WiB) and the WiB Portal, an online business directory hosting 400+ women entrepreneurs and companies primarily from the MENA region.

WiB does not operate a commercial product. There is no app, no public API, and no disclosed revenue. The organization is funded primarily through grants from German development partners, principally the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and sequa gGmbH, with the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) as a co-development partner on the WiB Agri Africa program. No membership fees are charged; distribution of services runs through partner associations and the self-serve portal, supplemented by LinkedIn outreach and recurring events. The team comprises 6 employees led by CEO and 1st Chairwoman Bassant Helmi and 2nd Chairwoman Martina Ziebell, with operations coordinated across the EMEA region.

Name

Women in Business Network - WIB

Legal name

Global Project Partners e.V.

Website

https://womeninbusiness-network.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women in Business Network (WiB) is a Berlin-based non-profit network, operated by Global Project Partners e.V., that empowers women entrepreneurs across the EMEA region through 14+ partner associations, a WiB Academy of training programs, and a portal directory of 400+ businesswomen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: WiB operates as a non-profit association primarily funded through grants from development organizations and government bodies such as BMZ and sequa gGmbH.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WiB is a non-profit network organization that empowers women entrepreneurs across the EMEA region through a portfolio of structured training programs (the WiB Academy) covering financial literacy, digital transformation, export readiness, leadership, creativity, and STEM skills. Programs are delivered online and in-person across 14+ partner countries and are supported by a WiB Portal that functions as a business directory and B2B matchmaking platform for more than 400 women-led businesses. The organization operates without membership fees, funded primarily through grants from development institutions such as BMZ and sequa gGmbH.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 businesswomen and companies in the directory

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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Import Promotion Desk (IPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the WiB Agri Africa Program, working with WiB to provide export preparation for female entrepreneurs in agribusiness.
• Global Project Partners e.V. (GPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPP is the parent organization managing WiB, founded in 2001 and based in Berlin, promoting private sector development and trade relations.
• Verband deutscher Unternehmerinnen (VdU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Association of Women Entrepreneurs, founded 1954. VdU hosts WiB events including the WiB Innovation Award and General Assembly.
• Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises (CNFCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs of Tunisia, founded 1990. Hosts WiB networking events including the MENA-African Business Women Forum.
• Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebanese organization founded 2006 supporting women entrepreneurs and professionals, hosts WiB Café sessions.
• Savoir et Vouloir Entreprendre (SEVE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlgerian association founded 2000 promoting entrepreneurship among women through training, mentorship, and networking.
• Alexandria Business Women Association (ABWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEgyptian association founded 1998 dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in Alexandria.
• Business Women of Egypt 21 (BWE21)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent Egyptian NGO with seven committees serving members from various business backgrounds.
• Women's Investment Club Senegal (WIC Senegal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 2019, supports women entrepreneurs through investment opportunities, training, and mentorship in Senegal.
• Women's Investment Club Côte d'Ivoire (WIC Côte d'Ivoire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 2018, empowers women entrepreneurs through access to investment, financial literacy, and business development support.
• Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for SheMadeIT program, hosting STEM training sessions for female students in Senegal.
• Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of Kenya (FOWEK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApex body of women entrepreneurs in Kenya, lobbying and advocating for women business associations.
• Women Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (WCCIMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNigerian organization dedicated to empowering women across commerce, industry, mining, and agriculture sectors.
• Business and Professional Women Association (BPWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization in Jordan dedicated to empowering women in business and the professional world.
• Women Investment Fund (WIFUND)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's investment club in Benin supporting women entrepreneurs through innovative financial instruments.
• Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Korangi (WCCIK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade body licensed by Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce, founded by Sahibzadi Mahin Khan.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): US-based non-profit that certifies and advocates for women-owned businesses and links them to corporate and government buyers. Comparable as a large-scale women's business membership and certification organization supporting women entrepreneurs.
• WEConnect International: Global non-profit network that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers worldwide. Highly comparable to WiB as a membership-based international platform for women entrepreneurs seeking cross-border B2B opportunities.
• Vital Voices Global Partnership: International non-profit investing in women leaders across business, politics, and civil society. Comparable as a global network that identifies and develops women leaders and entrepreneurs, with training, mentorship, and convening programs.
• Verband deutscher Unternehmerinnen (VdU): Germany's oldest association of women entrepreneurs, founded in 1954. VdU is a direct peer as both a membership-based women's business network offering training, events, and advocacy for female founders and business owners in Germany.
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: Global foundation dedicated to women's economic empowerment, with significant programming for women entrepreneurs in Africa and other emerging markets. Closely comparable to WiB's mission and emerging-markets focus on female entrepreneurship.

Regional players

• Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises (CNFCE): Tunisia's national chamber of women entrepreneurs, founded 1990. Comparable regional peer as a women's business association serving North African female founders, with overlapping membership and event programming.
• Alexandria Business Women Association (ABWA): Egyptian association founded 1998 supporting women entrepreneurs in Alexandria. Comparable regional peer providing training, networking, and capacity-building for female business owners in the MENA region.

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: Established global non-profit working broadly on workplace gender equality and women's leadership advancement. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in adjacent women's economic empowerment space, with overlapping training and research programs.
• Women's World Banking: Global non-profit focused on women's financial inclusion and access to capital, capital, and financial services. Comparable as a broader women's economic empowerment organization with programming across emerging markets.

Emerging players

• Women20 (W20): G20 engagement group focused on advancing women's economic inclusion through policy advocacy. Comparable as an emerging global voice for women's entrepreneurship, with convening and policy influence overlapping WiB's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-business-network-wib

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 →

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