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How SAP.iO Helps Underrepresented Entrepreneurs Succeed

SAP.iO, SAP’s strategic business unit that works closely with early-stage startups, made clear its commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship when it launched the SAP.iO No Boundaries initiative just over a year ago. No Boundaries offers venture capital and access to innovation for underrepresented entrepreneurs, with a goal of funding or accelerating at least 200 startups over a span of 5 years through SAP.iO Fund and Foundries. The SAP.iO Fund has committed to investing up to 40% of investible capital to inclusive entrepreneurship. 

The ideal outcome of No Boundaries is that the startups will thrive in the SAP ecosystem, deliver great value to SAP customers, and as a trickling effect, other investors will see the value in these entrepreneurs and will want to support them as well. Another goal of No Boundaries is to inspire VCs and other ecosystem players to follow SAP’s lead and enable a culture of diversity.  

Studies have shown that companies that have more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenue due to innovation (Boston Consulting Group). In 2018, companies founded solely by women received only 2.3% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in the US (Pitchbook). Racially and ethnically diverse companies perform 50% better than companies with only diversity of gender (McKinsey). 

There is clearly work to be done. 

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Mehr Startups von Frauen!

SAP.iO ist SAP‘s strategische Geschäftseinheit, die mit dem SAP.iO Fund und den SAP.iO Foundries innovative Start-ups im B2B Techsektor durch Investitionen und Accelerationsprogramme unterstützt. Mit SAP.iO No Boundaries haben wir uns entschieden, bis zu 40 Prozent des investierbaren Kapitals aus dem SAP.iO Fund für die Förderung von inklusivem Unternehmertum einzusetzen. Durch den Ausbau und verstärkte Aktivitäten bei unserem Programm SAP.iO Foundries wollen wir in den nächsten fünf Jahren mindestens 200 Start-ups weltweit unterstützen. Der SAP. iO Fund und die SAP.iO Foundry Programme zur Förderung von inklusivem Unternehmertum spiegeln die Vision der SAP wieder, die Abläufe der weltweiten Wirtschaft und das Leben von Menschen zu verbessern.

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Accélération de startups : Le Village by CA, Microsoft et SAP lancent un appel à candidatures dédié aux femmes entrepreneures

Le Village by CA Paris lance un appel à candidatures dédié aux femmes entrepreneures en partenariat avec Microsoft, SAP via son programme SAP.iO No Boundaries, et avec le soutien de Capgemini pour la sélection des startups. Cet appel est soutenu par sept réseaux féminins : Girls In Tech, Femmes Business Angels, Professional Women’s Network Paris, #JamaisSansElles, IWF France, StartHer et Rezoé.

Startups by Women Get Spotlight in SAP.iO No Boundaries

People mingling in conversation

Startups by women took merely 2.2 % of venture capital in 2017 according to data from PitchBook Data Inc., a financial data and software company headquartered in Seattle. It was also found that less than 13% of venture capital went to US startups with at least one female founder.

Startups by women and minority founders have been the focus of SAP.iO No Boundaries, SAP’s initiative to offer venture capital and incubation to underrepresented entrepreneurs, since its launch at the start of 2019.

Shoba Purushothaman, a founder of multiple startups in the last 18 years, is one of the women leaders that have received support from SAP. Purushothaman and her co-founders at Hardskills, an online platform that helps companies train their workforce in behavioural skills, have been one of six startups in SAP’s new B2B diversity accelerator in Berlin.

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