Despite the grim statistics, with less than 5% of fintech companies having a female founder, Canadian womxn are building the next wave of fintech companies that are making finance more inclusive and accessible for all.
To support these trailblazers, PR Communications firm Talk Shop launched a $30,000 Women in Fintech Grant late last year.
Delivered as $30,000 worth of public relations and communications services, the grant would be awarded to one early-stage fintech with a founder who identifies as a woman.
Talk Shop received applications from startups across the country and have settled on five semi-finalists for the grant – Paper & Coin, BuyProperly, Quber, the51, and B.C.’s own EstateBox.
Hailing from Kelowna, EstateBox’s platform provides a central place for all legal documents and life wishes. Founded by Anjali Inman after a cancer diagnosis, EstateBox wants to make estate planning for everyone – not just people at a certain point in their lives.
“Lack of gender parity is problematic, especially in male-dominated wealth and estate planning and WealthTech,” Inman told Techcouver. “We are building diverse teams where gender parity is a priority and we know that opportunities like the Talk Shop Women in Fintech Grant, will help us achieve equality in a male-dominated ecosystem.”
The winner of the $30,000 grant will be selected by a judging panel made up of experts in technology and communications and announced on February 15th.
“The Women in Fintech Grant will deliver $30,000 worth of PR services to a woman-identifying founder who statistically, doesn’t have the same access to capital as her male counterparts,” said Natalie Kiguel, VP at Talk Shop.
“We know that PR helps tech companies grow – it can support customer acquisition, educate consumers and build trust, but most importantly, we know that a smart strategy will raise visibility amongst the investor community, which has traditionally left womxn-led fintechs behind.”
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