The jury valued the innovative and pioneering nature of the initiative and its capacity to close the gender gap in international trade, particularly in that linked to technological and innovative entrepreneurship.
Desafia is being crucial for Spanish startups scalability through the internationalization of more than 250 startups supported by ICEX – Spanish Trade and Investment Promotion Public Agency - and Red .es – Spanish Digitalization Public Agency.
Geneva, September 10, 2024 – Desafia San Francisco programme, promoted jointly by ICEX and Red .es, with support from the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Los Angeles, and managed by Mind the Bridge, has been awarded the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
This recognition, awarded in the 'Women Entrepreneurs' category, highlights the innovative and pioneering nature of the initiative and its potential to close the gender gap in international trade.
The award was collected, in a ceremony held in Geneva, by José María Blasco, Executive Director of Growth and Competitiveness of ICEX, in presence of the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Geneva and Mind The Bridge, partner of ICEX and Red .es in this disruptive initiative to support the internationalization of Spanish female entrepreneurship.
In his words of gratitude, Blasco remarked that “the Spanish female entrepreneurs taking part in Desafia San Francisco and the rest of the Desafia programmes are an example and reference of courage, determination and professionalism for entrepreneurial women not only in Spain but also in other countries”. He also expressed that “this award not only recognizes the commitment of ICEX and Red .es to gender equality but also all the work that facilitates the access of female talent to international opportunities. The Spanish technology and innovation ecosystem is the second most accelerating in Europe, also in terms of gender equality, showing the capacity and talent of Spanish women who are leading technological innovation in Spain”
Blasco shared that “only the public-private collaboration between ICEX, Red .es and Mind The Bridge has been able to carry out this ambitious international project with very positive direct results for the entrepreneurs and their startups” and he concluded by stating that "the objective of ICEX is to continue supporting the Spanish technology and innovation ecosystem as a whole, influencing that female talent can compete at a global level and contribute to the economic development of our country and other international ecosystems. We thank the WTO (and the Co-Chairs of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender for this award and for its commitment to equality in international trade with high technological content”.
Catalyst of women entrepreneurship
Desafia San Francisco is an initiative that facilitates the immersion of Spanish technology startups in the Silicon Valley ecosystem. For the first time since it was founded, in 2023, Fall Edition, Desafia San Francisco launches its first programme with an exclusive focus on startups led by female entrepreneurs, CEOs and founders, with the aim of strengthening their presence in international markets from the US and facilitating their access to more global investment, training and mentoring. The second call is now open until September 13, with a new edition of the immersion programme scheduled from November 4 to 15.
This immersion programme, managed in San Francisco by Mind the Bridge (MTB) in collaboration also with the Economic and Commercial Office of ICEX in Los Angeles, offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to connect with experts, corporations, investment funds, to improve their access to a global innovation ecosystem and develop the necessary skills to scale businesses globally.
Furthermore, the gender focus given to these editions of the programme in San Francisco responds to a crucial economic challenge: an increase of at least 18% in GDP by reducing the gender gap. Short term challenges are the increase in the ratios of female entrepreneurship and financing raised by startups led by women. After the implementation of this awarded programme, the number of applications submitted by female entrepreneurs to different Desafia programmes has increased from 15% to 28%.
More than 250 internationalized startups
With its 12 programmes run in main world-class ecosystems, Desafia is a key tool for the growth of the Spanish entrepreneurs, supporting the internationalization of more than 250 startups that are already part of a Desafia Community, that has its own platform for sharing new opportunities integrated within the Spanish National Entrepreneurship Office. The programme is partially financed by the EU Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Desafia programme has been specializing in sectors, such as cybersecurity, through Desafia New York programme led by ICEX, Red .es and INCIBE.
This recognition by the WTO consolidates the value of the programme as a role model in promoting inclusive trade policies and creating opportunities for women in the technological and business fields.
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