What if we stopped asking women to change, and started changing how the system works?
In this episode, FEM-Start co-founders Marian Spier and Simone van Bijsterveldt explain what still keeps female founders from raising capital—and what needs to happen next.
Whether you’re fundraising for your first round or mentoring someone who is, this conversation is a must-listen.
Key Takeaways from Episode 110
FEM-Start isn’t just a training for female entrepreneurs. It’s a mindset shift. A platform. A response to structural bias. And a roadmap for change.
1. Visibility leads to funding
Investors need a certain level of FOMO. If female founders aren’t visible in the press or at events, they’re more likely to be overlooked. Visibility isn’t vanity, it’s strategy.
2. Modesty isn’t the issue; bias is
Women often present more realistic forecasts. That’s not a lack of ambition. That’s clarity. The problem isn’t the pitch. It’s how investors judge it.
3. Access still isn’t equal
Even when women ask for a meeting, they often don’t get a reply from investors. FEM-Start gives them the tools to open doors and make the most of the opportunity when they get there.
🎧 Tune in to discover How FEM-Start Helps Female Founders Get Funded and hear what the future of funding could look like when more women get to the table. Hit play below, or find the episode on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Or scroll down for Magical Moments and Practical Takeaways.
How FEM-Start Helps Female Founders Get Funded | Ep. 110 – Women Disrupting Tech
- Key Takeaways from Episode 110
- Inclusive Events for Women Disrupting Tech
- Join the Women Disrupting Tech Community on Substack
- Three Reasons Why Female Founders Should Listen
- 🤔 Your Turn: A Question for You
- Meaningful Moments of the Episode
- Amplify the Voices of Women Disrupting Tech
- Three Pieces of Practical Advice for Female Founders
- Bonus Insight for Investors
- About Marian Spier
- About Simone van Bijsterveldt
- About FEM-Start
- Share what’s on your mind!
- Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
- Final Thoughts
Inclusive Events for Women Disrupting Tech
As the summer holiday is approaching, the event season will take a break. Below is one event you definitely want to check out. For a full overview of all events, including links to buy tickets, please check the events page.
Founders Beach Series | Edition 3: Tech & Soul
Date: 11 September 2025
Location: Mango’s Beach Bar, Zandvoort
Time: 15:00 – 22:00 hours
Tickets: On Luma
Join the Women Disrupting Tech Community on Substack
Changing the funding landscape starts with access. Not just to capital, but to the right people, ideas, and spaces. That’s why I’m building The Women Disrupting Tech Community on Substack.
Join us if you want to help more women be heard, funded, and celebrated in tech. You’ll receive:
✨ Early access to new podcast episodes, plus a weekly email with the moments that moved me and what they taught me.
✨ Exclusive research on what it really takes to build a more inclusive tech ecosystem.
✨ Invites to special events we sponsor or co-host, where conversations turn into collaborations.
This community is for people who believe in action. And know that together, our voices go further.
Three Reasons Why Female Founders Should Listen
This episode gives you more than advice. It gives you language, mindset, and courage.
1. Marian and Simone name what others only hint at
From investor bias to financial blind spots, Marian and Simone speak with clarity and care about the real challenges female founders face.
2. They offer tools and experience
You’ll learn from two leaders who have seen it all what’s in their programs, and why understanding investor “lingo” is a power move.
3. It reminds you not to shrink
You don’t need to change who you are to get funding. In fact, investors should choose you. So you do need to be prepared. This episode shows you how to stay authentic and still win the pitch.
🎧 Ready to hear it? Listen to Episode 110 on Spotify.
BTW, please share this post with someone who should hear it.
🤔 Your Turn: A Question for You
Julia has redefined success to be measured from within, not based on external factors. And I wonder, how do you define success?
Let me know in the comments or message me directly. I’d love to hear your take.
Meaningful Moments of the Episode
02:30 – Founding FEM-Start: The Journey
05:16 – Navigating Challenges During COVID-19
08:23 – Barriers for Female Entrepreneurs
11:31 – The Importance of Visibility and Networking
14:18 – Investor Bias and Its Impact
17:25 – Educating Female Entrepreneurs
20:11 – Confidence in Pitching
23:23 – The Role of Bias in Investment Decisions
26:01 – Changing the Narrative Around Female Founders
29:04 – Myths About Female Entrepreneurs
32:03 – The Future of Gender Diversity in Business
33:39 – Gender Bias in Leadership and Promotion
36:13 – Education Gaps for Women Entrepreneurs
42:07 – The Role of FEM-Start in Entrepreneurial Growth
43:47 – Personal Experiences Shaping Entrepreneurial Journeys
47:24 – Understanding Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs
52:45 – Future Aspirations for FEM-Start
1:00:30 – Advocating for Inclusion in Tech Funding
Amplify the Voices of Women Disrupting Tech
Want to make inclusion in tech the new normal by 2032? Here’s how you can help:
Amplify the voices of Women Disrupting Tech by following the podcast on your favorite platform. Every follow brings these stories to more people.
Give the show a rating or review on Spotify or Apple. It only takes a moment, but it tells others this podcast is worth listening to. And helps the voices of my guests carry further.
Share the stories that move you.
Send this episode to a friend, a colleague, or someone who needs to hear it. Every share helps to build a more inclusive tech future and supports my guests in getting the stage they deserve.
Use the buttons below to spread the word. Your voice helps amplify theirs.
Three Pieces of Practical Advice for Female Founders
Taken straight from the FEM-Start playbook, here are three pieces of practical advice for female founders:
1. Know your finances by heart
Investors want founders who understand their numbers. Not just the P&L, but also cash flow, forecasting, and what’s driving growth.
2. Learn the language of funding
Terms like “pre-seed,” “valuation,” and “cap table” are more than buzzwords. Knowing the VC lingo helps you negotiate from strength, not guesswork.
3. Build your pitch like a marriage
Don’t play a role just to impress. The investor-founder relationship is long-term. Be honest from the start. You’ll attract better partners.
🎙️ Which of these have you already mastered? Share your experience in the comments.
🎧 For the full conversation on how FEM-Start closes the gender funding gap, listen to Episode 110 on Apple Podcasts
Or click the image below to listen on YouTube.
“I believe founders should know their business case by heart. Because if you don’t know it, what should an investor do with it?”
Simone van Bijsterveldt, founder of FEM-Start on the importance of understanding your business case as a founder.
Bonus Insight for Investors
Bias training won’t fix the gap. But behavior can.
About 24 minutes into the conversation, Marian says something important: the system won’t change because people suddenly become less biased. It will change because more women are building companies too big to ignore.
That is why it’s important to expand the lens through which we evaluate potential. And asking better questions, to women and to men.
About Marian Spier
Marian Spier is the founder of FEM-Start and a serial entrepreneur with a background in innovation, education, and leadership. She launched TEDx Amsterdam Women and the Startup Awards to spotlight underestimated female talent. Marian believes visibility leads to funding. With FEM-Start, she now helps women learn the rules of the game: how to raise capital, how to stay true to yourself, and how to build a global business without losing your voice.
You can connect with Marian on LinkedIn.
About Simone van Bijsterveldt
Simone van Bijsterveldt is a finance expert turned entrepreneur. After working as CFO at MediaMonks, she joined FEM-Start to make the startup world more accessible for women. Her strength? Helping founders get investor-ready by keeping the back office strong. Simone believes female founders don’t need fixing. They need support, honest forecasts, and access to the right rooms. With FEM-Start, she helps them get there.
You can connect with Simone on LinkedIn as well.
About FEM-Start
FEM-Start is an education platform that prepares female founders to raise funding. Founded in 2020, the program combines online courses with real-world investor meetups. It focuses on early-stage entrepreneurs with growth ambition. FEM-Start teaches the language of funding, helps women understand investor expectations, and connects them to a broader ecosystem of legal, tax, and finance experts. The mission: close the gender funding gap one pitch at a time.
You can learn more about FEM-Start on their website and by following them on LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
Share what’s on your mind!
What would change if we closed the gender funding gap?
Let me know what you think or what you hope would happen in the comments below.
And if you would like to suggest a guest or a theme for the podcast, please let me know via email or send a DM on LinkedIn.
Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
Next week on Women Disrupting Tech, I’m joined by Emily van Putten. She shares her personal experiences as a transgender woman in tech, the impact of online identity, and the necessity of accountability in leadership.
Talking about leadership, Emily has a clear view on what inclusive leadership is and isn’t. Just click to hear it…
So stay tuned for this and much more on Women Disrupting Tech.
Final Thoughts
This episode made me pause. Not just because of what Marian and Simone said, but because of how they said it: With clarity, conviction, and with zero interest in playing games.
FEM-Start isn’t just helping women raise money. It’s helping them raise the bar for what funding should look like in an inclusive tech world.
🎧 Listen to Episode 110 of Women Disrupting Tech: “How FEM-Start Helps Female Founders Get Funded” on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.
And until the next episode: Keep Being Awesome!
Women Disrupting Tech | The Podcast 