W Venture launches a new program to scale women-led tech ventures across B.C.

W Venture, an organization focused on supporting female entrepreneurs, has launched a new program to help more women-led tech companies in B.C. to scale in a rapid and sustainable way.

Named W Venture Growth, the one-year program begins this September and offers access to resources, mentorship, and a community of female entrepreneurs. Twenty startups will receive guidance from seasoned CEOs, partake in monthly accountability groups to keep their ventures on track, and learn from quarterly strategy sessions for key priorities and market strategies. 

The program is now accepting online applications and will host a virtual info session next week, on August 13. 

“W Venture Growth is a response to the underrepresentation of women in the tech sector and aims to change the landscape by providing tailored support to 20 high-potential, women-led ventures across B.C.,” wrote the organization in a press release. “Despite the increasing number of women starting businesses, only 19.6 per cent of small-to-medium enterprises are owned by women, and just one in five scale-ups are women-owned. W Venture Growth is committed to addressing this disparity.”

For Vancouver-based indie game studio Simply Sweet Games (SSG), learning about W Venture Growth has been uplifting news. Founders Tina Merry and Carina Kom launched SGG earlier this year in response to what they believe are limiting beliefs in the tech sector — like programming being a boys club and ageism hindering working women. The two have focused on addressing the lack of diversity in development teams and content to make games more accessible to all ages, genders, and needs — including those who have a disability or are neurodiverse.

While the duo have decades of experience working with major companies like EA, Microsoft, and Unity, they continue to face challenges as women growing a venture in a male-dominated industry, according to the pair. They believe there is a missed opportunity when products for women are not built by female developers.

“We know women are leading emerging trends related to both spending and time playing video games, as well as dominating control in overall consumer spending,” Kom explained. “Our vision statement can also make some feel uncomfortable, which leaves us feeling unseen and unheard when pitching what we do. With only 2.2 per cent of VC funding going to women-led startups, it's clear we must fight harder for our place and our vision in the games industry.”

Merry added that it’s been inspiring to see programs like W Venture Growth, given that they're led by those who can understand the specific challenges women face both at home and in business. 

“We are fortunate to have the backing of leaders who grasp the unique hurdles [female] entrepreneurs encounter as well as providing access to other valuable resources,” added Merry. “With a strong sense of community and a focus on inclusivity, these programs help women in business and tech to cultivate strong relationships that will last a lifetime, navigate unexpected entrepreneurial challenges, and overcome barriers to thrive.”

W Venture’s managing partner team includes Shelley Voyer, who is also an entrepreneur-in-residence for non-profit VIATEC, and Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber, the CEO of B Corp sustainability agency Ideas for Impact. Since its founding, W Venture has supported over 40 women-led startups, and receives funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program.

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