We are proud to announce the successful completion of the third round of the Female Equity Scholarship, a partnership between Siemens Energy Ventures and Carbon13. This initiative combines targeted scholarships with one-on-one mentoring from experienced female leaders at Siemens Energy, supporting female founders as they develop and scale climate tech startups.
Why this matters
Through our Carbon13 Venture Builder programmes women are challenging the myth that entrepreneurship is a male-dominated domain. These women come from diverse backgrounds and stages of life—many are mothers, career changers, or first-time founders—and they prove that purpose, not pedigree, drives impactful innovation. Despite receiving only 2% of venture capital funding globally, female founders demonstrate resilience, leadership, and a deep commitment to solving systemic environmental challenges. Their stories highlight the importance of inclusive ecosystems, value-aligned co-founders, and support networks in enabling women to lead high-impact ventures.
The Female Equity Scholarship is part of our & Siemens Energy’s commitment to building a more inclusive ecosystem—one where women from all backgrounds can access the resources, networks, and guidance they need to lead high-impact ventures.
A strengthened team and sharper market understanding
“When I quit my job to build a venture, I calculated my runway carefully—but I didn’t account for certain realities. I didn’t anticipate partnering with someone living 500km away, or needing to attend scientific conferences to build the network and conduct the research our work demanded.
The bursary made both possible. It funded travel so my co-founder and I could work together in person, not just through video calls. Those face-to-face sessions did more than facilitate collaboration—they transformed us from two individuals with aligned goals into an actual team. The bursary also enabled us to attend scientific conferences and industry meetings about our topic, one of them being international conference in Sweden. These weren’t luxuries—they were investments that strengthened us as a team and sharpened our understanding of the market.
The mentoring offered something equally valuable but harder to quantify: an outside perspective. My mentor didn’t know me beforehand, which meant she could be direct in ways that friends or colleagues often can’t. When you’re on the venture-building rollercoaster, that kind of unfiltered feedback is rare. Having someone who could offer honest assessment without emotional investment kept me grounded through the volatility.”
“Supporting female founders through the Carbon13 Venture Building programme has been an incredibly rewarding experience. As a mentor, I meet regularly with my mentee to share venturing expertise, open up my network, and build trust that allows us to talk openly—even about personal challenges during the startup journey. I’m constantly impressed by the speed and intensity of the programme, and by the drive and resilience of the founders. It’s a privilege to help shape ventures that have the potential to make a real impact.”
The Power of Partnership
Through this partnership, female founders receive both financial support and tailored mentoring from experienced female executives at Siemens Energy. This combination helps female founders accelerate their journey from idea to investment with a strong focus, ensuring that more women are at the forefront of climate innovation. In three scholarship rounds so far, 17 female founders received support through the Siemens Energy Scholarship.
“At Siemens Energy, we believe that the energy transition demands bold ideas and diverse leadership. That’s why our partnership with Carbon13 is so powerful—it brings together visionary climate tech founders and the deep industry expertise of Siemens Energy Ventures. Through our Female Equity Scholarship, we’re not just offering financial support; we’re investing in the potential of women founders to lead the change. These entrepreneurs are tackling some of the most urgent challenges of our time, from decarbonising industry to reinventing energy systems. By mentoring and collaborating with them, we’re helping build ventures that are not only technically brilliant but also inclusive, resilient, and ready to scale. This is more than a programme—it’s a movement toward a net-zero future, and we’re proud to be part of it”
What's next
Now that the third round has been completed, we are pleased to announce that the partnership will continue and that the tailored support by Siemens Energy will again be available to female founders in the newly launched Berlin Cohort.