Young entrepreneur from Münster about her security startup SafeSpace

Young entrepreneur from Münster about her security startup SafeSpace

Nour Idelbi, a native of Münster, has brought her security app SafeSpace onto the market, an innovative product that is specifically aimed at the needs of young people. The idea for SafeSpace came about during her school days in the youth council when she observed the insecurities of many young people, especially women, on their way home. The first draft of the app was developed in a school workshop on entrepreneurship in the tenth grade. SafeSpace uses a traffic light system that classifies the security situation of users as green, yellow or red and, depending on the status, activates functions such as automatic notifications to emergency contacts or an anonymous community call. A new function enables fake calls in unpleasant situations, which should provide additional support for users.

Idelbi also plans to attract 100,000 active users to SafeSpace by the end of the year, after 10,000 users were registered in the first week of testing. At the same time, she founded the start-up pop’it together with Maximilian Schulz. This company will offer a prebiotic soft drink without sugar, which will be distributed in Germany via messages in a bottle and selected supermarkets. Idelbi underlines the importance of WHU for her entrepreneurial knowledge and network and is actively involved in the area of ​​female entrepreneurship to encourage other women to implement their ideas.

Challenges for female founders

Female entrepreneurship has become increasingly important in Germany and Europe. According to the German Startup Monitor, the proportion of women starting a company increased from 15.9% in 2019 to 17.7% in 2021. However, inequalities still exist, particularly in terms of founding conditions and public perception. Many challenges remain, including balancing work and family life, which according to the Female Founders Monitor is a key hurdle. Flexible working hours and comprehensive childcare options are still necessary to support women who want to start a business.

Financing is also a crucial point. Access to venture capital is often more difficult for female founders. A study by KfW shows that 83% of venture capital deals are made by all-male teams, while only 5% are by all-female teams. In 2021, only 5.2% of female founding teams received over €1 million in investments, compared to 27.8% of male teams. Cultural and social conditions are crucial for women's start-up activities and require fundamental change.

Supportive programs for female founders

The Digital Hub Initiative has launched programs that support female entrepreneurship by promoting visibility and networks. The proportion of women in the digital hubs is 55%, which is above the industry average. Initiatives such as the Start-up Scale program specifically focus on supporting female founders in areas such as network building, market strategy and mentoring. These programs are critical to increasing the number of successful business startups by women and giving them a strong voice in entrepreneurship.

Nour Idelbi is an example of women in entrepreneurship. Her commitment and perspective from her own start-up experience underline the importance of encouraging women to pursue their ideas and actively address the challenges. A cultural change is necessary to strengthen women's start-up activity and to close the gender funding gap in the German VC market. Only through joint efforts can equality and diversity in the corporate landscape be promoted.

For more information about the challenges and opportunities for female founders, we refer to the reports from WHU, Digital Hub Initiative and KfW.