By Jim Dallke – Editor, American Inno
November 16, 2023
To spotlight some of the country’s promising women-led startups, American Inno has compiled its first national Female Founders to Watch list, a collection of startup leaders behind fast-growing young firms. With input from our startup reporters in more than 40 cities across the country, we’re providing a list of names that need to be on your radar — from founders leading artificial-intelligence unicorns to bootstrapped founders just getting started.
Our Startups to Watch series, which also includes AI Startups to Watch and serial entrepreneurs to watch, is designed to give a snapshot of thriving founders and companies from across the country.
Female founders have long struggled to raise startup funding compared to their male counterparts, and there have been a slew of new funds and initiatives launched in recent years to get more money in the hands of women-led startups.
Even with increased efforts to boost these startups, the amount of venture capital that makes its way to female founders has remained paltry. And when it comes to startups led by all-women founders, funding is declining. Startups led by all-women teams raised just 1.9% of all VC funding last year, down from 2.4% the year prior. Startups with at least one female founder raised 17% of all venture capital funding in 2022, the same percentage raised in 2021.
But a lack of capital hasn’t stopped female founders from innovating, and American Inno’s list aims to provide a snapshot of growing women-led startups that are disrupting their respective industries. Dive into our inaugural Female Founders to Watch list below:
Company: brrr°
HQ: Atlanta
Funding: $16 million
Kolb founded brrr° in 2014 to design fabrics that incorporate cooling technology into the yarn. Kolb, a former Spanx executive, raised a $6 million round for brrr° earlier this year, including an investment from David Chu, a fashion designer who runs social impact firm DC Design International. Brands that use its cooling technology in their fabrics include Vineyard Vines, Lily Pulitzer and Adidas.
