A study shows that the proportion of female founders in Germany is falling. And if they dare, they have a harder time getting money. Why is that and what needs to change.
Why is Germany not a start-up country? Jaclyn Schnau doesn’t have to think long about the answer. “A lot of people get their master’s at the age of 26 or 27,” she says. About four years later, around 30, women have their first child on average. As a result, there were only about four years in which potential female founders could build up a network, says Schnau. Once the offspring have arrived, it is still assumed in this country that mothers work part-time at most – it is hardly different with the opening times of many daycare centers. “This system keeps women from founding a business,” says Schnau, herself a mother of two small children. The Canadian, who lives in Germany, founded her own start-up seven years ago. And is therefore still exotic.