WEstartupSH
WEstartupSH is a publicly funded, free community network and program platform for women entrepreneurs in Schleswig-Holstein, operated since 2017 under Europa-Universität Flensburg and delivering mentoring, scholarships, talks, networking, and a national pitch competition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersFlensburg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WEstartupSH does
WEstartupSH (Women's Entrepreneurship Startup Schleswig-Holstein) is a publicly funded community platform and support network for women entrepreneurs and aspiring founders, operated since 2017 as a sub-project of the StartupSH network under the institutional umbrella of Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF), specifically through the Jackstädt-Zentrum for Entrepreneurship and Education. It delivers a portfolio of six core programs — WEmentor (12-month mentoring), WEportrait (founder profiles), WINspire (talks and workshops), WEschol (EXIST Women scholarship), WECoffee (informal networking), and the Female Founders Contest (formerly Female StartAperitivo) pitch competition with Jury, Public Vote, and Deep Tech prize categories — plus general support services covering ideation through scaling. Its primary customer segment is women founders at any stage of the entrepreneurial journey in Schleswig-Holstein, with secondary reach to Hamburg and a national audience via the Female Founders Contest. Engagement is delivered through a hybrid in-person and online model embedded across seven Schleswig-Holstein university startup offices via the EXIST Women SH consortium (EUF, FH Kiel, CAU Kiel, Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel, FH Wedel, HAW Kiel, FH Westküste), and is supported by the credibility of partners including IZET Itzehoe, Waterkant Festival, startuphub.SH (WTSH), and Impossible Founders.
The technology base is non-proprietary: the platform runs on standard community tooling (Wix website, Substack newsletter, Instagram and LinkedIn social channels, Webex and Zoom for online events) with no described AI, ML, or algorithmically driven product surface. The core team is four people — Dr. Kirsten Mikkelsen (Project Lead and Director Entrepreneurship & Education at the Jackstädt-Zentrum), Jorna Nagelschmidt, Leefke Levsen, and Laura Korock (the latter of whom has announced her departure) — supported by a roster of approximately 17 named volunteer mentorinnen experienced in entrepreneurship, executive leadership, and academia.
WEstartupSH's revenue model is entirely grant-based, with no commercial revenue stream and no pricing tiers; all services are free to participants. Primary funding flows from the Landesprogramm Wirtschaft 2021–2027 via the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE/ERDF) and Land Schleswig-Holstein state funds under the 'Neuartige Strukturen - StartUp SH 2.0' umbrella, with additional support from the federal Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) through the EXIST Women program. The organization has publicly announced that this Landesprogramm funding ends in July 2026 after nine years, triggering a paused state of new mentoring tandem formation and a restructuring effort to continue operations in a new form thereafter.
WEstartupSH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WEstartupSH
- Legal name
- Europa-Universität Flensburg
- Website
- https://westartup.sh
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WEstartupSH is a publicly funded, free community network and program platform for women entrepreneurs in Schleswig-Holstein, operated since 2017 under Europa-Universität Flensburg and delivering mentoring, scholarships, talks, networking, and a national pitch competition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WEstartupSH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women Entrepreneurship Support Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Internships, Externships & Work-Based Learning Placement (EDAMAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs (EDAIAKAD), Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)
Keywords
Where WEstartupSH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Flensburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WEstartupSH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Grant Funding: WEstartupSH is funded entirely through public grants. It is a sub-project of the Landesprogramm Wirtschaft 2021-2027, financed by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE / ERDF) and state funds of Schleswig-Holstein (as part of the 'Neuartige Strukturen - StartUp SH 2.0' project). It also participates in the federal EXIST Women program funded by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie. No commercial revenue is generated. Services are provided free of charge to participants.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
WEstartupSH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WEstartupSH is a publicly-funded community platform that supports women entrepreneurs and aspiring founders in Schleswig-Holstein through free mentoring (WEmentor), startup talks and workshops (WINspire), scholarship coordination (WEschol under EXIST Women), founder storytelling (WEportrait), informal networking (WECoffee), and a flagship pitch competition (Female Founders Contest). All services are provided at no cost to participants and are delivered through a hybrid of in-person events, online sessions, and embedded presence across seven Schleswig-Holstein universities.
Product overview
WEstartupSH is a dedicated platform and network for women entrepreneurs in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, operating as a sub-project of StartupSH since 2017. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to support female founders at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey. The core offerings include WEmentor (mentoring program), WEportrait (founder profiles), WINspire (startup talks and workshops), WEschol (EXIST Women scholarship program), and Female StartAperitivo/Female Founders Contest (pitch competition). Additionally, WECoffee networking sessions and general support services complete the ecosystem. The platform is funded by the Landesprogramm Wirtschaft 2021-2027 with support from EFRE and state funds, and aims to increase visibility, provide sensitization, qualification, and support measures for women entrepreneurs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WEmentor: Mentoring program for female founders in northern Germany, where experienced mentors accompany mentees for one year on their entrepreneurial journey.
- WINspire
- WEschol
- WEportrait
- WECoffee
- Female Founders Contest
Products and services
- WEmentor A one-year mentoring program where experienced female mentors accompany aspiring female founders regardless of their stage in the founding process, providing guidance and support throughout the entrepreneurial journey in Schleswig-Holstein and northern Germany.
- WEportrait An interview series showcasing diverse women entrepreneurs from Schleswig-Holstein who share their entrepreneurial journeys, challenges, and learnings to inspire aspiring female founders.
- WINspire A combined startup talks and workshops program featuring inspiring female entrepreneurs who share their experiences, providing a platform for knowledge sharing and networking within the women's entrepreneurship community.
- WEschol (WEscholarship) A scholarship program funded by EXIST Women that provides monthly stipends, mentoring, events, and structured support to female founders across Schleswig-Holstein universities from mindset development through business modeling to financing.
- Female StartAperitivo / Female Founders Contest A nationwide pitch competition for women-led startups aimed at addressing the gender gap in venture capital investments, with a Schleswig-Holstein halbfinale hosted at Waterkant Festival in Kiel and three prizes of 1,000 euros each (Jury Award, Public Choice Award, Deep Tech Award).
- WECoffee Regular online coffee networking sessions providing female founders with direct informal contact to discuss current topics in a casual agenda-free setting as a shared start to the day.
- General Support and Networking Services Comprehensive support for founders from idea to concept, connecting them with local contacts and providing a network for women entrepreneurs across different life and career phases, with a focus on addressing the diverse needs of female founders in Schleswig-Holstein.
Quantifiable outcome
- 38% of commercial startups in Schleswig-Holstein are founded by women — above the German national average
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WEstartupSH
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WEstartupSH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WEstartupSH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Impossible FounderscoreImpossible Founders is a co-organizer of the Female Founders Contest, providing prize sponsorship (three prizes of 1,000 euros each: Jury Award, Public Choice Award, and Deep Tech Award), mentoring hours as prizes, and organizational support for the national contest format. WEstartupSH co-hosts the Schleswig-Holstein halbfinale with Impossible Founders.
- IZET Innovationszentrum ItzehoecoreIZET Itzehoe is WEstartupSH's primary co-organizer for the Female Founders Contest / Female StartAperitivo in Schleswig-Holstein. Christoph Steckhan (Head of Capital & Network at IZET) co-hosts and co-moderates the annual event with Dr. Kirsten Mikkelsen. IZET provides organizational capacity, venue access, and connections to the Itzehoe startup ecosystem.
- Waterkant FestivalcoreWaterkant Festival in Kiel is the primary annual venue and platform for the Female Founders Contest Halbfinale in Schleswig-Holstein. The festival provides the physical stage (Innovation Stage) and audience for the pitch competition, amplifying the visibility of women founders in the region. The 2026 edition hosted the FFC26 Halbfinale on June 19.
- startuphub.SH (WTSH GmbH)coreWTSH (Wirtschaftsförderung und Technologietransfer Schleswig-Holstein GmbH), through its startuphub.SH initiative, co-organizes the Female Founders Contest in Schleswig-Holstein alongside WEstartupSH and IZET Itzehoe. It provides statewide startup promotion infrastructure and connects the contest to the broader German startup ecosystem.
- EXIST Women SH ConsortiumcoreThe EXIST Women SH program is a multi-university consortium led by WEstartupSH (Europa-Universität Flensburg) and six partner universities across Schleswig-Holstein: FH Wedel (Startupbridge), Hanse Innovations Campus Lübeck (GruenderCube), Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel (ZFE), Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel, HAW Kiel, and FH Westküste. The consortium delivers stipendiary support and mentorship to women founders at each campus, coordinated by WEstartupSH.
- Jackstädt-Zentrum (Europa-Universität Flensburg)coreThe Jackstädt-Zentrum for Entrepreneurship and Education at Europa-Universität Flensburg is the institutional host for WEstartupSH. It provides administrative infrastructure, academic oversight, and connection to the university's research and teaching mission in entrepreneurship. Dr. Kirsten Mikkelsen serves as Director Entrepreneurship & Education at the Jackstädt-Zentrum.
- Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF)flagshipWEstartupSH is hosted at the Europa-Universität Flensburg and is a sub-project of the StartupSH network operating through the Jackstädt-Zentrum (Entrepreneurship & Education) at EUF. EUF provides institutional infrastructure, staffing, and academic credibility. Dr. Kirsten Mikkelsen serves as both Project Lead of WEstartupSH and as Director Entrepreneurship & Education at the Jackstädt-Zentrum.
- StartupSH NetworkflagshipWEstartupSH is a member sub-project of the StartupSH network — the statewide startup support infrastructure of Schleswig-Holstein. As the designated lead for Women's Entrepreneurship within StartupSH, WEstartupSH coordinates and delivers gender-specific support services across the state's startup ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WEstartupSH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- hannoverimpuls GmbH: Regional economic development agency for the Hannover region providing startup support, founder coaching, and accelerator programs. Comparable as a publicly-funded regional founder-support organization in an adjacent German Bundesland.
- Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Berlin's business and technology promotion agency, including a dedicated startup unit. Comparable as a publicly-funded regional ecosystem builder offering founder support programs in a different but adjacent German geography.
Broad incumbents
- StartupSH: The statewide startup support network of Schleswig-Holstein of which WEstartupSH is a sub-project. Comparable as the broader umbrella under which WEstartupSH operates and serves the same regional startup community with overlapping programming.
- EXIST / BMWE Founder Programs: Federal EXIST programs (including EXIST Women) funded by the BMWE support startup founders across German universities. Comparable as the federal funding umbrella WEstartupSH participates in and as a broader-incumbent operator of comparable scholarship and mentoring programs.
- startuphub.SH / WTSH: The state economic development and technology transfer agency that co-organizes the Female Founders Contest and provides broader startup promotion infrastructure across Schleswig-Holstein — a wider-incumbent operator serving overlapping founders.
Direct peers
- IZET Innovationszentrum Itzehoe: Regional innovation and startup center in Schleswig-Holstein that co-organizes the Female Founders Contest with WEstartupSH. Comparable as a regional startup hub with explicit focus on founder support and ecosystem coordination in the same geography.
- Impossible Founders: Co-organizer of the Female Founders Contest, providing prize sponsorship and mentoring support to women-led startups in Germany. Directly comparable in mission and program format (national pitch competition for women founders).
- Female Founders e.V. Germany's national non-profit network supporting women founders through community, advocacy, and programs. Directly comparable as a mission-aligned women-entrepreneurship support organization, operating at national scope while WEstartupSH operates regionally.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
WEstartupSH social profiles
Digital presenceWEstartupSH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WEstartupSH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
WEstartupSH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WEstartupSH M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WEstartupSH
What does WEstartupSH do?
WEstartupSH is a publicly-funded community platform that supports women entrepreneurs and aspiring founders in Schleswig-Holstein through free mentoring (WEmentor), startup talks and workshops (WINspire), scholarship coordination (WEschol under EXIST Women), founder storytelling (WEportrait), informal networking (WECoffee), and a flagship pitch competition (Female Founders Contest). All services are provided at no cost to participants and are delivered through a hybrid of in-person events, online sessions, and embedded presence across seven Schleswig-Holstein universities.
Is WEstartupSH a public or private company?
WEstartupSH is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was WEstartupSH founded?
WEstartupSH was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WEstartupSH based?
WEstartupSH is headquartered in Flensburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does WEstartupSH make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Grant Funding.
Who are WEstartupSH's main competitors?
Regional players on record are hannoverimpuls GmbH and Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie. Broad incumbents are StartupSH, EXIST / BMWE Founder Programs and startuphub.SH / WTSH. Direct peers are IZET Innovationszentrum Itzehoe, Impossible Founders and Female Founders e.V..
Does WEstartupSH have an API?
No public API is recorded for WEstartupSH.
What industry is WEstartupSH in?
WEstartupSH's product category is Women Entrepreneurship Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAKAB, Internships, Externships & Work-Based Learning Placement, with a secondary code of EDAIAKAD, Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.