EXIST Women

The German Startup Monitor 2024 shows: Only 18.8% of start-ups are co-founded by women - a decline compared to the previous year (2023: 20.7%). This decrease makes it clear that structural hurdles still exist and that targeted support is urgently needed.

One starting point is the EXIST Women program, which supports women in the very early start-up phase - financially, in terms of content and strategically.

The funding combines financial support over three months with a nine-month development programme.

• Practice-orientated workshops
• Individual coaching and support from mentors
• 2000 Euro for material resources
• 3-month grant of 1000 to over 3000 Euro per month (depending on the individual case)
• Access to the EXIST Women community and experts/founders, regional and nationwide networking

• Female students who have completed a Bachelor's degree or are well advanced in their studies at the University of Stuttgart
• Academic staff at the University of Stuttgart
• Former female students at the University of Stuttgart - including those who graduated more than five years ago
• Women with vocational training and a thematic connection to the University of Stuttgart

Start-up ideas by women who are currently studying at the University of Stuttgart or who work a maximum of 20 hours per week on the side are eligible for funding. Projects without a direct research or technology focus are also welcome.

EXIST Women 2025 is being implemented at the University of Stuttgart for the second time. Between 5 and 10 female scholarship holders can be supported. We hope to be able to offer the programme again in 2026. We expect to know more about this at the end of the year. If you want to stay up to date, it is best to follow TRACES on LinkedIn to make sure you do not miss any news, or sign up directly for the waiting list. We will get in touch as soon as there is a new application phase.

The programme is run by the University of Stuttgart together with other universities in the region: University of Hohenheim, Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule der Medien, Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, Nürtingen-Geislingen University and the University of Tübingen. This creates a regional network that opens numerous doors for participants - from events to expert contacts.

In addition, EXIST Women offers access to a nationwide community of female founders who promote exchange and mutual empowerment.

For questions and information, please contact existwomen@traces.uni-stuttgart.de