The technology sector generally struggles with gender diversity, a challenge that is particularly evident within fintech.
Data from Dealroom reveals that female founders in the European fintech space secured a mere $1.2 billion in funding last year, in stark contrast to the $7.7 billion raised by their male counterparts. Moreover, none of the top ten most valuable fintech companies in Europe were established by women.
Nevertheless, female entrepreneurs such as Anne Boden of Starling Bank, Eléonore Crespo from French fintech Pigment, and Romi Savova, founder of PensionBee, are emerging as influential figures and role models for aspiring women in the fintech landscape.
Sifted has compiled insights from its own reporting, along with industry expert opinions, to highlight notable female founders to watch.
Danai Antoniou — Gradient Labs
Location: UK
Danai Antoniou co-founded Gradient Labs, a startup focused on developing AI solutions for the financial sector, founded by former Monzo employees. She previously spent four years working as a machine learning engineer at Monzo.
Elizabeth Rossiello — AZA Finance
Location: London
As the founder and CEO of AZA Finance, a London-based B2B fintech, Elizabeth Rossiello offers financial services tailored for businesses in Africa. AZA has attracted over $50 million in funding from prominent investors, and dLocal announced plans to acquire the company pending regulatory approval.
Eva Lundell — Swimbird
Location: Sweden
With more than 28 years at Nordic corporate bank SEB, Eva Lundell has significant industry experience. She is the founder of Swimbird, a wealth management fintech that helps banks and asset managers visualize their portfolios.
Louise Brandt — Open Payments Europe
Location: Sweden
After spending six years at payments company Zettle, Louise Brandt founded Open Payments, which offers Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for third-party connections with banks. The startup has raised over $11 million from various investors.
Marie Bedu — RockFi
Location: France
Prior to founding RockFi, a fintech offering digital private banking services, Marie Bedu held operational roles at other tech startups. RockFi has successfully raised over $23 million in funding from interested investors.
Megan Caywood Cooper — Caywood
Location: UK
A veteran in fintech, Megan Caywood Cooper has previously managed roles at Starling Bank and Barclays. She has recently launched her own venture, Caywood, a consumer app that employs AI for tailored financial planning and wealth management.
Morgan O’Hana — Defacto
Location: France
Morgan O’Hana founded B2B lending fintech Defacto after her previous role at Spendesk. Based in Paris, Defacto facilitates loans for over 10,000 SMEs and has secured more than €30 million in funding from notable backers.
For the original article, visit: https://sifted.eu/articles/female-fintech-founders/
