Women Founders Conference Highlights Role of Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship

On Thursday 27 November 2025, WIDE ANDCO held the tenth edition of its Women Founders conference at Intesa House in Luxembourg-Gasperich (Cloche d'Or).

The event, organised with the support of Luxembourg’s Ministry for Gender Equality and Diversity and in collaboration with Women in Tech Luxembourg, brought together women entrepreneurs and stakeholders committed to fostering an inclusive innovation ecosystem.

Moderated by Marina Andrieu, Director of WIDE ANDCO, the first panel brought together Ami Nagata, Managing Director of Zodia Custody (Europe) SA in Luxembourg, and Emilie Allaert, Head of Digital Products at Standard Chartered, to discuss evolving attitudes and the increasing presence of women in the technology sector. According to the organisers, the speakers highlighted steady progress, noting a growing number of women in IT and management roles in Luxembourg. They added that although the transition to entrepreneurship remains challenging due to persistent prejudices, the sector’s culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and continuous learning creates “fertile ground” for new entrepreneurs.

The second panel, featuring Virginia Baillie-Strong, co-founder and Director of Operations at Partao, Loise Wandera, co-founder and CEO of METRICSAT, and Ala Presenti, co-founder of Investre, examined the essential factors in building and scaling a start-up. The entrepreneurs underlined the importance of strong teams, a deep understanding of customer needs and the highly connected Luxembourg ecosystem. They noted that launching a business requires significant effort and involves uncertainty, but that taking informed risks can be transformative. Confidence, seeking opportunities and believing in one’s ideas and team emerged as “key pillars” of successful entrepreneurial development.

According to WIDE ANDCO, the 2025 edition of Women Founders gathered a large number of participants and provided an opportunity to exchange on trends and best practices in Luxembourg’s technology and entrepreneurship landscape. The event also offered space for reflection on the role of women in the ecosystem and the challenges linked to creating and growing start-ups.