Deep tech is a space of infinite possibility – but it’s still built on some old habits. Women are dramatically underrepresented, making up only 14% of leadership roles in the field. Yet, when women lead, they don’t just diversify the conversation; they reshape the conversation.
Diversity isn’t just about fairness – it’s a game-changer.
Research consistently shows that gender-diverse teams:
- Deliver better financial outcomes
- Make smarter, more inclusive product decisions
- Are more resilient and innovative
Diverse teams build better tech.
Indah Harahap, Radia: inclusive tech networkGender balance isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a growth strategy.”
Through their Gender Equity Audit, Radia helps tech companies assess representation, uncover bias, and design inclusive systems that create real change.
If the broader tech industry has a diversity issue, then deep tech: spanning AI, robotics, aerospace, quantum, and biotech, is even more stark. These fields often pull from historically male-dominated academic disciplines, making women’s representation rarer, and often more isolated.
Deep tech is shaping our world – from AI to aerospace. But here’s the glitch: Women-led deep tech startups secure only 15% of seed funding”
Anna Wood, Startup Magazine
We talked to five women who are changing that. This isn’t just a feature. It’s a reality check and a vision for what’s possible.
Only 2.3% of venture capital funding goes to women-founded startups. But at Silicon Allee, we’re working to shift that reality.
The voices below come directly from five women from startups in our portfolio and core team who are pushing deep tech into a more equitable future.
What drives the most innovative solutions in tech? At Silicon Allee, we’ve found the answer: diversity of thought and background. Based in Berlin since 2011, we’ve become a key player in the city’s vibrant tech ecosystem, nurturing startups and creating a thriving environment for founders, experts, and investors. Since joining Fraunhofer HHI, we’ve honed our focus on supporting early-stage deep tech and AI startups to scale and succeed, championing ventures that break both technological and social barriers, learn more about our offerings here.
Take startup NepTune, where two visionary women founders are transforming how children experience music education through AI and gamification. Their impact isn’t just in what they’ve built, but in how their unique perspectives led to a solution others might never have imagined.
Or Flybionic, whose gender-diverse team brings multidimensional thinking to drone technology development. These perspectives reflect our belief that tomorrow’s breakthroughs require today’s diversity.
Here’s what they had to say… 🗣️
As a space engineer at Flybionic, Hanan Al-Haddar isn’t just building tech for drones. She’s carving space for women in aerospace. 🛬
I thoroughly enjoy science and especially physics with its ability to explain phenomena as well as create solutions”
Ilkyaz Koca is the CEO of NepTune. 👩🏻💼 She knew that if she wanted to shape the future, she had to be part of it—and she saw that tech is a game-changer for startups. With her unique background in law and business, she was perfectly positioned for this role.
When Aleyna shared her idea, I knew it could be something powerful. Especially when backed by real technology”
Aleyna Tunca didn’t start in code, she started with chords. 🎼 Before becoming the CPO of NepTune she was a classical musician out of Trinity College Dublin and founder of Lucan Violin Studio. Her pivot to motion detection AI via NepTune wasn’t planned. It was personal.
I wanted to make music learning more accessible. Tech gave me the tools.”
For Annika Langer, a working student engineer at Flybionic, electrical components were fascinating precisely because they seemed so mysterious to her at first. ⚡️
What has always driven me is the desire to solve the mystery of how electrical circuits operate the way they do.”
Alyssa Kirst, our Head of Startup Incubation at Silicon Allee, naturally gravitated toward challenges at the intersection of tech, drawn to their complexity and high-impact potential after her studies in business. 📈
Working with deep tech startups and founders is truly inspiring. I particularly love the analytical and critical problem-solving approach engineers bring to the table”
But passion isn’t always enough, these brilliant women still face obstacles along the way…
Aleyna notes how common it is to be the only woman in the room and constantly being questioned for her proficiency in running a well-tuned startup, to turn the perception around she says:
I focused on building credibility through action, testing with real users, refining the product, and working closely with our tech team to make sure our AI actually solves a real problem.”
Annika, deep in electrical engineering, names the voice in her head as the biggest challenge and adds:
I spent years wondering if I belonged. Seeing other women thrive gave me the belief I could too”
Hanan describes how outdated laws and societal beliefs created burdens in her tech career. She points out patronizing behavior, devaluation of her contributions, and questioning of her expertise as examples of subtle micro-aggressions she encountered.
I am highly self-assured of my value and skills; hence such outdated power dynamics cease to have any influence on me.”
Although these women could jump over these obstacles, it still does not look so bright for the rest: Women in tech are 21% less likely to get promoted than their male peers. And yes, the gender pay gap is still sitting at around 7%.
As we advocate for change in tech, the women in our office demonstrate leadership by example. When asked about their leadership styles, they shared:
Perfectionism held me back,” says Aleyna. “Now I lead with transparency and action.”
Ilkyaz on the other hand prefers to lead with trust instead of control,
I’ve learned to delegate, to mentor, and to uplift.”
Alyssa loves that she has a role where she can share her learnings and support the next generation of deep tech entrepreneurs.
More women = better tech, simple as that.
Hanan sees supporting more women in tech as a win for everyone and claims that,
It means better and more tech products that are geared towards women, as well as more multidimensional and innovative technologies.”
Ilkyaz & Aleyna want to see a shift in the recognition of early-stage potential and more women on investment committees, in leadership, and shaping how the future of tech would change the industry.
Thank you to Hanan, Ilkyaz, Aleyna, Annika, and Alyssa for sharing your thoughts. We’re proud to highlight the journeys of these women and committed to building the infrastructure that supports many more. 🙏🏽
At Silicon Allee at Fraunhofer HHI, we believe that an inclusive deep tech ecosystem isn’t just a vision, it’s a necessity. That’s why:
- 50% of our team are women, meet them here.
- We actively support diverse founders through incubation, acceleration, community, and mentorship.
- We hold events dedicated to women in deep tech.
- We partner with organizations like Radia- the inclusive tech network to support systemic inclusion in tech. To join their network, you can sign up here.
How to get involved
- Our girls just wanna have funds – and a visionary investor like you. Ready to meet the next generation of female-led startups?
Slide into our mailbox. 😉
If you’re a woman in deep tech,join our Slack Communityand share your story. - If you’re a woman leading an early-stage deep tech startup, even better – find out more about our accelerator program and apply!
- Not a woman? You can still make a difference by supporting and amplifying women’s voices in tech. Trust us, everyone benefits from more diverse perspectives.