AWS Startups declares week of November 6th Women’s Demo Week

AWS Startups is excited to announce the inauguration of a global movement, AWS Startups Women’s Demo Week, set to take place annually from November 6th – 10th. Designed to honor and elevate the incredible contributions of women founders worldwide, this movement is a testament to AWS Startups’ unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and the transformative power of innovation. This week culminates a years-long series of events designed to engage and accelerate the startup journeys of women founders around the world, including AWS Founders Forums and roundtables in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam connecting women founders to AWS experts, investors, and technical resources.

There’s no denying the crucial role that women play in the global startup ecosystem. However, despite their enormous potential, women-led startups often encounter unique hurdles in acquiring resources, opportunities for networking, and capital. This is why AWS launched the Underrepresented Founder and Investor Startup Business Development team in 2020 to lead a global strategy to address the underinvestment in women and other diverse founders. In 2020, only 2.3% of global venture capital (VC) funding went to women-only founded startups, with Black and Latina women receiving less than 1% each. Unfortunately, this funding gap worsened in 2022—the latest data from Crunchbase shows VC funding for all-women founding teams dropped even further—to just 1.9% last year, with women of color receiving less than .35%. These stark statistics spotlight the sizable and growing funding discrepancies facing women entrepreneurs worldwide, especially women of color. They underscore why groundbreaking initiatives like Women’s Demo Week are so critical.

Our mission with Women’s Demo Week is to create an impactful, inclusive space that champions and strengthens the role of women in the startup ecosystem. By providing a platform for showcasing groundbreaking innovations and fostering connections with investors and industry stakeholders, we aim to catalyze change and progress towards a more equitable startup ecosystem. Throughout Women’s Demo Week, AWS will host demo days worldwide in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Austin in North America; Bogota, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Sao Paolo, and Mexico City in Latin America; and London, Berlin, Lagos, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, and Madrid in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

This event offers selected entrepreneurs from our AWS Startup community the opportunity to connect with potential investors, customers, strategic partners, and other industry influencers. The agenda for the event goes beyond just showcasing innovative solutions—it encompasses sharing visionary ideas, building stronger networks, and celebrating the women entrepreneurs who are reshaping industries to become more diverse. We invite you to join us—whether you’re an investor seeking promising startups, a potential customer keen to explore innovative solutions, or an entrepreneur looking for inspiration, Women’s Demo Week will be a week filled with learning, networking, and celebrating the indomitable spirit of women entrepreneurs. Register today and learn more!