Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced its first-ever AWS Women’s Demo Week, a global event focused on helping women-led startups connect with investors. The week-long event, from November 6 to 10, 2023, will host pitching events for women-led startups in 18 cities worldwide.
AWS aims to increase the visibility of women-led startups, facilitate valuable business connections, and create a more inclusive, equitable, and innovative tech industry. The initiative comes in response to the significant decline in venture funding for women-led startups. In 2020, only 2.3% of global VC funding went to women-only founded startups, with the funding gap worsening in the past couple of years.
AWS Women’s Demo Week aims to showcase the grit and ingenuity of women founders and help them connect with investors. Selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors and connect with potential customers and partners at in-person networking events in cities across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
AWS will provide participants with $10,000 in AWS Activate credits, connect them to technical experts, and grant access to the URF startup community. The event is supported by startup organizations such as Ajim Capital, Founderland, GrindstoneXL, and Mogul Millennial.
AWS hopes to leverage its investor connections and resources to demonstrate that women-led startups are good businesses deserving serious consideration from funders. The event also aligns with efforts to address the widening funding gap for women entrepreneurs globally.
