When I walked into the Alpha startup zone at Web Summit Vancouver, it was impossible to ignore the energy — and the diversity. As a woman founder with more than 30 years in tech, I’ve gotten used to being the exception in the room. But not this time. Startups led by women weren’t the outliers — they were everywhere. That wasn’t just a feeling: 44% of exhibiting startups were female-founded, according to Web Summit organizers. I also saw a visible balance among attendees, which felt incredibly hopeful.

But representation is just the beginning. 

Because while it was exciting to see women building companies, we still need to talk about who we’re building for — and how we’re funding and supporting those efforts. That’s where I see a massive blind spot. It’s one thing to celebrate diverse founders on the conference floor. It’s another to ensure we’re building for real, overlooked audiences — and backing those solutions with the capital and long-term support they deserve. Until we address both who the products are for and who controls the money behind them, we’re only solving half the problem.

The market we keep overlooking

Women over 50 are the fastest-growing segment in gaming. Most play on mobile. They’re loyal, strategic, and engaged. Yet they remain widely overlooked in game design, funding, and marketing decisions.

Web Summit Vancouver was validating in so many ways. It was energizing to be in a space where women weren’t just represented — they were leading. But when it came to investors, the contrast was clear. Most of the VCs listed in the Web Summit app — and nearly all the investors we connected with — were men.

And that’s where something clicked for me.

This was the first Canadian Web Summit. A global spotlight on our local ecosystem. And yet — even with near gender parity on the founder side — we were still having the same conversations with the same investor profiles. That’s when I realized: representation in startups doesn’t guarantee representation in outcomes. Not unless the funding landscape evolves with it.

The path forward

The BC tech ecosystem is well-positioned to lead here. We have initiatives like DigiBC supporting early-stage founders, and now, global events like Web Summit drawing the spotlight. But we need to be intentional. That means seeking out products designed for underserved markets. It means backing companies that understand the audiences that others overlook. And yes—it means funding more women-led studios.

Because the future of tech might not look like what we’re used to. It might look like a woman over 50 on her phone, playing a game that makes her feel seen.  

As a mother of three and a grandmother, I think a lot about what kind of industry — and world — we’re building for the next generation. I want them to feel like they belong in it. And that’s a future worth building for.

 Tina Merry is the CEO and co-founder of Simply Sweet Games.