INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF WOMEN ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS

What INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF WOMEN ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS does

International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) is a global not-for-profit membership organization of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), founded in 2002 with roots traceable to the first International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) held in New York in 1964. Headquartered as a U.S. non-profit corporation governed by a Board of Directors, INWES reaches over 60 countries through four regional networks — APNN (Asia and Pacific Nations), ARN (Africa Regional Network), INWES-Europe, and INWES-MENA — and serves both organizational members (national associations and professional societies such as KWSE, AWIS, and Engineering New Zealand) and individual women in STEM at all career stages, alongside outreach to young women and girls. The organization holds official NGO partnership status with UNESCO and consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

INWES's core products and programs include its flagship triennial ICWES conference series (ICWES19 in Auckland 2023 drew 220 participants from 25 countries with 150+ speakers; ICWES20 scheduled for August 2026 in the Philippines), regional and APNN conferences, the Herstories oral history project, the GISE gender perceptions survey, the Enhancing Research Culture project (with the University of Warwick), the INWES Awards program, and a regular multilingual newsletter (English and French). Technology consists of a WordPress-based website platform (inwes.org), email newsletters, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn), and standard virtual meeting tools for webinars. There are no proprietary technology products, APIs, or mobile applications; the digital estate functions as a membership portal and event information hub.

The business model is a non-profit membership subscription structure. INWES generates revenue through three streams: (1) recurring annual membership fees from individual and organizational members processed via the website portal; (2) one-time conference registration fees and sponsorships for ICWES and regional conferences; and (3) donations and corporate/institutional sponsorships, including grants from UNESCO and the University of Warwick for specific projects. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but membership tiers are billed annually. The organization employs 1-10 staff and operates as a volunteer-supported federation, with no disclosed revenue figures and no funding rounds or M&A activity.

Name

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF WOMEN ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS

Legal name

International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists

Website

https://inwes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global not-for-profit membership network of organizations and individual women in STEM across 60+ countries, delivering the triennial ICWES conference, four regional networks, advocacy, and programs under UNESCO NGO and UN ECOSOC consultative status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: INWES collects membership fees from both organizational members and individual members. Fees are managed through their payment options page and vary by membership category.
2. Conference Fees: Revenue generated from triennial ICWES conferences and regional network conferences including registration fees, sponsorship contributions, and associated events.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: The organization accepts donations and receives sponsorship from corporate partners and institutions for programs, conferences, and member activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

INWES runs a global not-for-profit membership network for women in STEM, selling individual and organizational annual subscriptions processed through its website portal. It also delivers a triennial international conference (ICWES) plus regional network conferences that generate registration and sponsorship revenue, alongside programs such as Herstories (oral histories), the GISE gender perceptions survey, and awards recognizing contributions to women in engineering and science.

Product overview

INWES is a global not-for-profit network of organizations supporting women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), reaching over 60 countries worldwide. The organization operates primarily through its website platform (inwes.org) and organizes the flagship ICWES (International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists) triennial conference series. INWES maintains regional networks including APNN (Asia and Pacific Nations Network), ARN (Africa Regional Network), INWES-Europe, and INWES-MENA. The organization delivers programs such as the Herstories oral history project, GISE gender perceptions survey, and Enhancing Research Culture project in collaboration with Warwick University. Additional offerings include the INWES Awards program, regular newsletters, and membership services providing networking and advocacy opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICWES: International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists - flagship triennial conference of INWES
• Herstories
• GISE

Products and services

• INWES Membership (Individual and Organizational) Annual subscription service providing individual women engineers/scientists and women-in-STEM associations with access to the global network, regional network participation, the triennial ICWES conference, awards eligibility, advocacy channels through UNESCO and the UN, and regular newsletters and webinars.
• ICWES - International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists Triennial international conference for women engineers and scientists with paid registration, sponsorship, and awards components; brings the global membership together for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and gender equity programming. ICWES19 (2023, Auckland) and ICWES20 (2026, Philippines) are documented editions.
• INWES Regional Network Conferences Paid regional conferences organized by INWES APNN, ARN, INWES-Europe, and INWES-MENA, providing local venues for members to participate in INWES programming without traveling to the triennial global ICWES.

Quantifiable outcome

• ICWES19 brought together 220 participants from 25 countries with 150+ speakers
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerINWES holds official NGO partnership status with UNESCO and consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The partnership enables INWES to participate in UNESCO initiatives including Action Groups for Women in Science, International Day of Women and Girls in Science events, and various UNESCO prize nomination processes. INWES also supports UNESCO's Call to Action 'Closing the Gender Gap in Science'.
• Association of Korean Women Scientists and Engineers (KWSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKWSE is a key organizational member and partner of INWES. KWSE hosted BIEN 2025 and INWES APNN Meeting in Daejeon, Korea (August 2025). KWSE and INWES collaborate on gender perceptions in STEM projects (GISE), and KWSE established the World Woman in Science and Technology (WWST) database platform for INWES members.
• New Zealand Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWIS co-hosted ICWES19 with Engineering New Zealand in Auckland, New Zealand, September 3-6, 2023, with 220 participants from 25 countries.
• Engineering New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering New Zealand (Te Ao Rangahau) co-hosted ICWES19 with AWIS in Auckland, New Zealand.
• University of WarwickmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Warwick collaborated with INWES on the 'Enhancing Research Culture' project funded by Warwick. Professor Georgia Kremmyda from Warwick led INWES conference organization and obtained funding for INWES projects.
• Asia and Pacific Nations Network (APNN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional network of INWES covering Asia and Pacific nations. Organizes annual meetings and the 2026 INWES-APNN Conference in Taiwan (November 3-5, 2026) at National Sun Yat-sen University. APNN is coordinated by INWES regional leadership.
• Africa Regional Network (ARN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional network of INWES covering African nations. Hosts regional meetings and collaborates on projects like the 'Reimagining a STEM Research Culture' project.
• INWES EuropecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional network covering European nations. Hosts regional conferences including the INWES Europe Regional Conference in Munich (2016).
• INWES MENA (Middle East and Northern Africa)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional network covering Middle East and Northern Africa. Conducts regional webinars and projects including 'Reimagining STEM Research Culture' webinars.
• Philippine Technological Council – Women Engineers Network (PTC-WEN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPTC-WEN is hosting ICWES20 in Clark Freeport and Economic Zone, Philippines, August 4-7, 2026, in partnership with INWES and PWESS10.
• Falling Walls FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINWES supports Falling Walls Lab Mongolia events which introduce innovations of young scientists to international audiences. 2022 event held at German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology.
• German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMIT hosted Falling Walls Lab Mongolia 2022 and other events in cooperation with INWES.
• Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWSD collaborates with UNESCO and INWES on initiatives including the GenSIS project (Gender-Inclusive Science Institutions & Systems) under the UNESCO Call to Action 'Closing the Gender Gap in Science'.

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD): UNESCO-affiliated global network supporting women scientists in developing countries. Shared mission on STEM gender equity; active partner of INWES through the GenSIS project.
• Women's Engineering Society (WES): UK-based charity supporting women engineers through membership, events, and awards. Directly comparable membership-organization model focused on women in engineering.
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS): US-based nonprofit advocating for women in STEM with membership, awards, and policy advocacy. Closely aligned mission and similar organizational model; co-hosted ICWES19 with INWES.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): Global (US-rooted) membership society for women in engineering with conferences, awards, and advocacy. Most comparable peer in terms of scale, structure, and mission.
• Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN): US non-profit focused on women in engineering through research, programs, and advocacy. Similar operating model and target audience.
• European Platform of Women Scientists (EPWS): European umbrella organization for women in STEM with policy advocacy and networking. Directly complementary scope to INWES Europe regional network.

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: Global nonprofit focused on workplace gender equity through research and consulting. Adjacent in mission on women in STEM but with broader inclusion focus; operates more as a research and advisory organization.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): Larger US-based nonprofit advancing gender equity including in STEM with research, fellowships, and advocacy. Comparable scale and membership-based mission but broader scope across all fields of study.

Emerging players

• National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): US-based non-profit focused on increasing women's participation in computing and technology through research, programs, and workforce initiatives. Partial overlap with INWES STEM focus.
• 500 Women Scientists: Global grassroots network of women in STEM with chapters worldwide. Similar global-network mission but more decentralized and volunteer-driven than INWES.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/inwes_global
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN5RunMUlf5PZf2cpuNozOg
• Facebookfacebook.com/INWES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inwes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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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