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24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

24+ Amazing Female Founders To Follow In 2024: A mapping of successful women-led Romanian entrepreneurship

By Livia Rusu

In emerging markets like Romania, female founders are a minority. However, during the past few years, Romania has seen a steady increase in the number of women co-founders who are now starting to be more present in both the product and services areas. 

At The Recursive, we believe that this is an achievement in and of itself, and a trend worth celebrating. So we partnered up with Bravva Angels, and we asked these inspiring women entrepreneurs one question, to help normalize their career paths among the younger generation: 

What is the single, most important thing you would suggest a young female entrepreneur do in order to grow and scale a start-up?

Below, you’ll find 24+ answers from women in different verticals, listed in no particular order. 

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Ilinca Paun, Founder At Bravva Angels

"It's not about competition - it's about inclusivity. The Bravva Angels platform is an instrument that women founders can access for financial resources as well as knowledge and advisory or mentorship from the Romanian business community. In our one year of activity, we've seen 100 pitches. Out of these, 30 have entered an investment readiness process, 20 of which have been promoted and presented to investors. I would love to see even more applicants in 2024.”

United by the purpose to invest and attract co-investment for startups to increase the percentage of venture capital backing for Romanian females from less than 1% to 5%, by 2030, Bravva Angels is a community passionately invested in helping scalable startups. In just one year of activity, they have already invested approximately €800k in 8 startups: OutDID, Profluo, Spark School, Vintello, Zitamine, Vent D’Est, in 2023, and Glow2Go and Charger.ro. in 2022.

With a keen focus on supporting female founders, Bravva Angels reaches beyond an investment platform into a tool of empowerment in the entrepreneurial landscape. Their commitment extends into mentorship and guidance from a diverse array of business angels. The volume they target to invest in very early stage start-ups is €10M by 2025.

Aside from nurturing women founders, Bravva Angels is a network of accomplished members whose appetite for fostering change also applies to supporting women who want to become investors themselves, whom they coach on investment and expose to funding opportunities and mentorship experiences.

For this mapping, we asked 50+ women entrepreneurs to answer our question. If you are one of those women and are not on the list, we'd love to receive your answer and list it here, whenever you can send it to us.
This is only the beginning of mapping out the female startup ecosystem in Romania. Please feel free to contact The Recursive Newsroom with updates or names we should add to the list → [email protected].

Verticals

Ed Tech

"For me, the ingredients of success are: perseverance, compassion, the ability to be a good communicator and negotiator, integrity, a big smile, a positive attitude and the courage to take risks."
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com
Iuliana Anton
Co-founder of Wantsome

EdTech startups aim to innovate the market through digital learning platforms, online courses, interactive applications, educational software, and technology-based instructional methods. 

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Ioana Teleanu, founder of UX Goodies, ex co-founder Mento Design Academy 

UX Goodies is a space for designers to learn and grow with bite-sized nuggets of design deliciousness.

‘To succeed on this journey (and in life in general, my experience was) you need one key thing: people. The right relationships. And in no way I mean that in a negative light. I mean having the right mentors. Having the right team. Having the right investors. To understand who those are and how to get them onboard, you need conversations. So start networking, start talking, start connecting, start learning, and continuously do that. The quality of your product, the PMF, those are equally critical, but the human aspect can make the difference between winning or failing on this journey.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Iuliana Anton, co-founder of Wantsome

Wantsome is the friendly IT academy, whose mission is to grow the biggest learning community for current and future IT professionals.

‘Learning from failure is the most valuable advice I can give to young women entrepreneurs. During this journey in the universe of self-improvement and constant accumulation of new information, mistakes will inevitably appear, and the moment we face them can be downright terrifying. If they don’t know how to react in a healthy way, the tenacity and devotion with which they initially greeted this beautiful dream may disappear.

Believe in yourself. If you trip and fall, get back up whenever you need to. Act. Put it into practice. In business, failure is inevitable. Redefine failure to trigger creativity, progress and adaptability.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Oana Durcau, co-founder of Triliada

Triliada is the interactive educational guidance platform helping high school students choose their academic path.

‘Regardless of the area in which you develop your startup, you will undoubtedly bump into all kinds of people. My advice is to take advantage of these connections and try to assimilate as much as possible from each one. That’s because you will only have to learn: from their misfortunes, but also from their successes, from life experience, but also from the mistakes made. Networking, networking, networking – that’s what gets you ahead. In the beginning, no one knows everything in order to operate a startup perfectly. And that’s exactly why it’s good to rely on the people around you who have more experience than you do. You’d be surprised how open they are to help you evolve!’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Catalina Elena Popa, founder of Nova Chess

NovaChess is an educational chess app designed to enhance learning.

‘What truly made a difference in my journey was blending my strong skills with the subjects that I am passionate about, all anchored in confidence. I believe that being a woman has only amplified my love for the things I do. And it mattered more than I could imagine.’

Med Tech

„As we navigate the dynamic landscape of technology, I believe in fostering a culture of openness and inclusivity, inspiring the next generation to embrace the opportunities that entrepreneurship offers. Feel free to include these additional insights in your mapping, and I look forward to being part of an initiative that encourages women to explore and contribute to the entrepreneurial landscape.”
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com
Mihaela Onofrei
Apollo AI Technologies

MedTech combines medical expertise with technological innovations to improve patient care, enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery, and advance medical research and diagnostics. The goal of MedTech is to improve health outcomes, support healthcare professionals, and enhance the overall quality and accessibility of healthcare.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Mihaela Onofrei, co-founder and CEO of Apollo AI Technologies 

Apollo AI Technologies gives doctors and healthcare professionals the opportunity to easily access large volumes of correlated data.

‘In addition to my role as founder and managing partner of Apollo AI Technologies, where we specialize in developing advanced chatbots for healthcare professionals, I’d like to highlight the profound impact of technology, particularly natural language processing (NLP), in various fields of activity. Through my academic background in NLP research, I’ve been able to bridge the gap between theory and practice, bringing cutting-edge solutions to companies and professionals.

My professional journey has been driven by the passion for both technology and linguistics, aiming to translate academic knowledge into practical applications. The challenges I encounter daily, both as a specialist and a manager, have reinforced my commitment to leveraging AI for real-world benefits. Looking ahead, I am optimistic about the transformative potential of entrepreneurial initiatives, especially those led by women.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Andreea Alexandra Ceclan, founder of FeelingNest

FeelingNest provides complete psychological services for patients with an oncological diagnosis.

‘So, if I were to suggest just one thing, in few words to other young female entrepreneurs, that would be to cultivate a mindset anchored in patience and an appreciation for the power of small, consistent steps.

In the intricate world of entrepreneurship, my friendly advice is to cultivate a mindset anchored in patience and an appreciation for the power of small, consistent steps. Our brains are wired, and the world around us only strengthens this approach, to fixating on monumental successes and overshadowing the power lying in the consistency of our actions.

But we might just adjust a bit the place from where we look at things. Navigating the labyrinth of entrepreneurship demands a strategic and methodical approach. To my fellow young female entrepreneurs, embrace the journey with patience and a keen eye for the lessons within each step. By breaking down the monumental task of scaling a startup into achievable, bite-sized components, these actions will be the building blocks of a formidable foundation, filled with intention and resilience, fostering an organic evolution.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Roxana Margan, co-founder of ORIGINi

ORIGINi aims to unlock the potential of data to facilitate collaborative healthcare transformation.

‘Growing and scaling a startup is a multifaceted challenge, with finding the right market fit being one of the most critical aspects. It often requires multiple iterations to refine the product based on feedback and market response, while performing extensive market research. We constantly adapted our products and services in order to be adaptable to evolving market trends, customer needs and preferences.’

Read more:  #BreakingGrounds: Catalyzing Innovation and Global Recognition
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Ana Maria Onica, co-founder of Voxi Kids 

Voxi Kids is a multi-award winning digital clinic for speech therapists and children with speech delay. 

‘As CEO and co-founder of VoxiKids, I often compare the entrepreneurial journey to a rollercoaster ride – it’s full of unexpected twists and turns, exhilarating highs and challenging lows. In this dynamic landscape, a CEO must not only lead with vision but also recognize the crucial role of a strong, resilient team. My advice to young female entrepreneurs centers on two key aspects: building a robust network of mentors and peers, and crucially, developing a team that shares your commitment and drive. This balance of leadership and teamwork is vital for navigating the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship.

At VoxiKids, the journey has been a vivid illustration of how a team’s collective effort and spirit are indispensable. Each obstacle we’ve overcome and each success we’ve celebrated has been a testament to our teamwork. These moments are more than just personal achievements; they reflect the power of a united team working towards a common goal.’

L&D Tech

Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey is a blend of technical strategy and personal grit. Initially, your entrepreneurial path is paved with assumptions: understanding the problem you're solving, the effectiveness of your solution, identifying your target customers, and determining the most effective channels to reach them. It's crucial to recognize these elements as assumptions rather than established facts. Approach them with a mindset of experimentation; seek both qualitative and quantitative data to validate or challenge your hypotheses. This experimental approach is key to uncovering the most effective strategies for growth and scalability.
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com
Lavinia Mehedintu
Co-founder of Offbeat

L&D Tech refers to the range of digital tools and platforms used to facilitate and enhance the process of learning and professional development in organizations. L&D Tech is designed to make learning more accessible, engaging, and personalized, helping organizations to efficiently train their workforce, support continuous learning, and adapt to changing business needs and educational trends.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Lavinia Mehedintu, co-founder at Offbeat 

Offbeat is a solution designed for L&D professionals who want to accelerate their career through live programs, mentorship and knowledge sharing.

‘There are about a million things that go through my mind, but I’ll choose to focus on two pieces of advice. One is more technical, the other one is more personal, but they are both connected to each other.

However, this journey is not just about strategies and data. It’s equally a personal one. The path of experimentation, where hypotheses are often disproven, and where obstacles are frequent, can be mentally and emotionally taxing. It’s important to realize that such experiences are common among entrepreneurs.’ 

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Ioana Göz, co-founder at Offbeat

Offbeat is a solution designed for L&D professionals who want to accelerate their career through live programs, mentorship and knowledge sharing.

‘Wow, I have to state the obvious: there are a lot of lessons you learn along the way. Some are smaller, some are big, and some hurt on all kinds of levels when you’re learning them, so maybe that’s something to keep in mind right from the start. 

But if I were to suggest only one thing, it would be this – and please take this as a whole: as long as you set and respect a clear purpose and set of values, both for yourself as a person and professional, and for your business, don’t get too attached to any other particular idea. Sometimes we get so caught up in an idea we really love and want to try out, that we might work on it and invest so much in it and we forget to look at it critically and ask ourselves “Why am I doing this? Does it really make sense?“. So yeah, even if it’s hard and frustrating – and believe me sometimes it really is – be ready to scrap some of the coolest most brilliant ideas from your list, if they do not make sense for your business, your clients, or your values. Having this flexibility and frequently asking yourself why will help you make that you always do things with a purpose.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Letitia Stefan, co-founder at Nifty

Nifty is building a command center for enterprise learning and development, unifying all L&D-related data into one single source of truth, to enable companies to make data-driven decisions about their learning investments.

‘My advice is, for each objective or for your business’ “”North Star””, to ask yourself whether and how any action you take will get you closer to your goal. It’s a very powerful tool to keep you focused, especially when you have to make difficult choices on how you invest your time, how you find people for your team, or how you budget, plan, and build.

Software Tech

"Scaling up a start-up needs that the c-level people have confidence in its success. It is often recommended to follow your intuition when it comes to making important decisions. But in women the feeling of questioning will compete with intuition and it will rarely win. So we should rely on the facts, take into account factual criteria when it comes to making decisions to grow your start-up. Perhaps you shouldn't do it too early, but you shouldn't hesitate to do it when all the indicators are green, because timing is very important in the life of a start-up. So be Cartesian, surround yourself with c-level people who deserve your total trust, listen to them but be the one who takes, in the end, the risky decisions, with full knowledge. Knowing that subsequently we must be able to give ourselves the means to scale up our start-up, and this may mean bringing in investors fairly early, but this may be a good decision in your case, no matter how it looks from the outside."
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com
Adriana Gogonel
Co-founder of Statinf

Software tech integral to modern computing, playing a crucial role in everything from running personal devices like smartphones and laptops to powering complex systems in business, science, and industry. 

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Adriana Gogonel, co-founder and CEO of Statinf 

Statinf is a statistical timing analysis tool helping designers of embedded systems to optimize the use of the hardware by the software, with applications in aerospace, automotive, and autonomous vehicles. 

‘In the case of our start-up we are two women co-founders. There are twelve of us in the team today, four years from creation and our growth has been quite linear. However, we are dealing with a deep tech subject of industrial interest which could already have been a solution that is being sought out among manufacturers of planes, automobiles, etc. But we have exactly the profile of a software company where it takes a lot of resources from the start to have the product. 

So we clearly needed investors. However, we had difficulty convincing them because we were women, in a deep tech field. But that doesn’t mean that they should have invested, that they wouldn’t have taken risks. This means that two men in our place would have easily convinced them with the technical solution that we are proposing. We have to know this and take it into account when we make our business plans, find alternative solutions: subsidies, collaborative projects, the time that the company will generate turnover, which will allow it to grow naturally but also to convince investors.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Julia Draghici, founder of CPV One 

CPV One is an ad tracking software on a mission to help affiliate marketers & marketing agencies make sense of their marketing data.

‘I started my entrepreneurial journey five years ago, and in this time we managed to take our product in 91 countries. Along the way, we faced challenges and made mistakes, realizing the value of having a community of entrepreneurs for shared learning. Although it’s a case of “better late than never”, now I try to learn from others as much as I can.

Having a family and raising a business is often challenging, but it gives us also valuable skills like resilience and adaptability. Actually, we try to raise our business the same way we try to raise our kids: doing the best we can with the resources available.

For young woman entrepreneurs, my advice is to consistently engage with your clients—listen, learn, implement changes, and then repeat the process. Focus on creating a killer product that addresses a specific problem within a micro-niche. Avoid starting too broad; instead, narrow down your niche.

Read more:  10 Family Offices From CEE You Should Know Of

Achieving customer satisfaction is your key goal. Once you nail that, everything else will naturally fall into place.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Felicia Barsan Burichi, co-founder of Unit Vision

Unit Vision offers business process automation and integration solutions through digital transformation.

‘I recommend, first and foremost, setting clear intentions and objectives. They should strategically plan their steps preferably from the ultimate goal to the present, maintaining focus and harmony with essential aspects of life.

Reflecting on my professional journey, I have consistently embraced the challenges that have brought me to this point, where I am embarking on a new phase – the continued development of the Sales Partner project as a robust business, meant to bring a fresh perspective to the automotive industry. We are ready to expand internationally and eager to establish new, solid partnerships.’

AI Tech

AI Tech includes learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, language understanding, and more, encompassing multiple approaches and technologies, like machine learning (including deep learning), natural language processing, and robotics.

"Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey? Here's my golden nugget of advice: Start with what ignites your soul. Ask yourself, 'Where can my passion make a real difference?' It's about transforming dreams into action, turning your fervor into something that alleviates real-world challenges. "
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com
Ruxandra Cord
Co-founder of theCoRD.ai
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Ruxandra Cord, co-founder of theCoRD.ai 

the CoRD.ai is a deep-tech accelerator of remote teams and ecosystems, facilitating smart work dynamics and massive organizational growth.

‘Reflect on the milestones in your life. Our passions often evolve during these pivotal moments, especially as we transition into new decades. For me, the big shift happened just before I turned 40. I left a secure, well-paying corporate job to dive into the thrilling unknown of entrepreneurship. It’s about making space in your life for new beginnings, especially when you feel like you’re at a standstill. 

Remember, hitting rock bottom isn’t the end. In fact, there’s a strange joy in those moments, because the only way left is up. Embrace these lows as part of your journey upward. My path so far has been a tapestry of learning, unlearning, and relearning. And looking ahead? I’m excited to continue breaking barriers and inspiring future generations of women entrepreneurs. Let’s show the world what we’re capable of!’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Oana Jinga, founder of Dexory 

Dexory uses autonomous technology to unlock data and drive insights through all levels of business operations, paving the way for artificial intelligence and robotics to transform logistics.  

‘The one thing women should do is become very comfortable with ambiguity. Starting and growing a business is one of the most uncertain things you can do in life and day after day new challenges will come out of nowhere. To succeed one must learn to thrive in this ambiguity and use it to their advantage.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Cezara Benegui, founder of Sales OMMO 

Sales OMMO helps sales people and their managers achieve better results while reducing intrusion and communication waste through technology.

‘I’m a University Lecturer at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bucharest, and I have a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence. As someone with a solid academic background, I understand the importance of continuous innovation and building a robust professional network.

Firstly, never underestimate the significant impact of ongoing advancement. In the rapidly evolving tech industry, you should keep updated with the latest technological advancements and think creatively about applying these innovations in new and transformative ways within your business.

Secondly, my academic experience has given me access to a vast network of researchers and industry experts. Engaging in strategic partnerships can open doors and grant you access to new technologies, resources, and ideas essential for your start-up’s growth and scaling.

In conclusion, the fusion of continuous innovation and strategic collaborations has the potential to create a good strategy for achieving success in the dynamic tech industry.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Ioana Vacarasu, co-founder of Dyver 

Dyver helps e-commerce platforms to scale and succeed through automated product content generation.

‘With nearly two years into the startup ecosystem, there’s a sense that we’re only scratching the surface. Central to this journey is team synergy. I’ve witnessed firsthand how a founding team of three, bound by shared values, vision and complementary skills becomes the backbone of resilience and adaptability. Trust, this valuable asset that grows steadily, combined with open-mindedness, a low ego, creativity, discipline and moral integrity drives our ability to navigate the complexities of our industry with unity and purpose.

Shifting focus to another crucial aspect of our journey, I’ve learned the importance of product-market fit and timing, especially in today’s retail world where resources are strapped and companies are challenged to do more with less. We launched at a time when businesses were already actively seeking to improve their customer experiences through reliable product data. This placed us in a strong position to initiate conversations with companies already seeking scalable solutions. Dyver’s automated & AI driven end-to-end product documentation solution to an otherwise manual, costly and unscalable process in retail brings relief to category managers, product and marketing teams of marketplaces, e-tailers and distributors.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Gabriela Constantinescu, co-founder of Chambr 

Chambr helps sales reps generate more revenue through game-based simulations.

‘I would say 3 things have been crucial in my journey so far: 

Run experiments on your way to product market fit. Especially at the beginning of your journey, you need to make sure you are building something that your users want before investing a ton of time and money into building the product. Think like a scientist, come up with assumptions and test them. Measure the results, draw conclusions, make decisions fast and iterate. Raising money too early or building too early can cost a lot in the long run. If you build a solid business, scaling will come naturally. 

Seek mentorship and guidance, be open to feedback, but at the same time always use your own filters, judgement and experience when deciding which piece of feedback to implement and which one to drop. And be able to tell the naysayers from the people who give constructive feedback out of their vast, relevant experience, with the best intentions at heart. Don’t allow the former to crush your self-confidence and trust the latter to show you what needs to be improved. 

Surround yourself with people who complement your skills, who push you forward, who nurture a growth mindset and who care for what you’re building. Even if they are your co-founders, your investors, your mentors, really take the time to curate every single person whom you allow to join your dream. In a startup, every relationship is a long-term relationship.’

HR Tech

HR Tech aims to improve HR functions, enhance employee experiences, streamline recruitment and onboarding processes, and provide valuable insights into workforce management. HR Tech aims to improve HR functions, enhance employee experiences, streamline recruitment and onboarding processes, and provide valuable insights into workforce management. 

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Raluca Apostol, co-founder of Nestor

Nestor connects performance management, employee engagement, and career development through a skills-based approach to help HR and business leaders make talent decisions aligned with business priorities.

‘A simple piece of advice I would give any startup female founder is to be obsessed with customer success and surround herself with the right people. Having checked that, you are clearly in the right direction. 

I cannot stress enough how crucial these things are. The markets are shifting, the needs are changing so fast, as well as the challenges faced by organizations. No one knows them better than your customers. Spend time with them, understand their pain points, and help them gain real value by using your product. Always ask for your customers’ feedback and move fast to incorporate it. Show a genuine interest and care about their success and this attitude will bring you huge benefits over time. 

Equally important is to find the right team members who can share your vision and passion for the product, for the work, and have a strong desire to achieve things that sometimes seem impossible. You will have to identify these types of people and look especially for some specific skills and traits like adaptability, self-determination, or creativity – traits that can make a difference. Also, foster connections with the right mentors or investors – they will all play a crucial role in your learning path, making strategic moves, or experimenting with new things.’

eCommerce Tech

 Key components of eCommerce tech include website design and hosting services, shopping cart software, payment processing systems, inventory management tools, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and data analytics. E-commerce startups use technology to improve the already digital system. This can be done by offering mobile solutions, electronic transfers, stock, and team management, marketing, personalized customer support, as well as sustainable delivery solutions. 

Read more:  26 Czech VCs Investing in CEE Tech Startups at Different Stages
24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

 Iulia Ghita, co-founder of Zitamine

Zitamine is a personalized nutrition service offering premium vitamin and supplement subscriptions across CEE.

‘I’m going to quote Jim Collins on this one: “First, get the right people on the bus”. I think the first and most important thing an entrepreneur can do is team up with the right people. There’s a cap on what one can do by oneself. But there is no limit to what the right team can do.

As for my personal journey, I learned the importance of hiring the right people from Bogdan Georgescu, at Bookster. He built an amazing team that did amazing things. And we were not just co-workers – I’ve met most of my best friends at Bookster, including Alexandra Stroe. We were co-CEOs at Bookster and now we are co-founders at Zitamine. Having a co-founder doesn’t mean just sharing your workload. It’s having someone to talk to about your concerns and your dreams even at 2 a.m., someone who shares your values and yet can bring a different perspective to the table. Entrepreneurship doesn’t need to be a solitary endeavor.’

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Alexandra Stroe, co-founder of Zitamine

Zitamine is a personalized nutrition service offering premium vitamin and supplement subscriptions across CEE.

‘It’s difficult to choose just one thing. I will try to briefly name a few. Start by understanding the need you are trying to solve (one good book to guide you through the process is “The Mom Test”).

Then it’s very important to find the right co-founder (I’ve seen few entrepreneurs that are successful by themselves – I’m not saying it cannot be done, but for me it’s very important to have the right people in this journey).

Build a measurement system, make a list of hypothesis and test them. Pivot when the results are not ok. And don’t give up. Resilience is one of the most important predictors for success.

As we build Zitamine, we’re using the ideas I mentioned earlier as much as possible. Two books, “Scaling Up” by Verne Harnish and “Lean Start-up” by Eric Ries, have been instrumental in guiding our activities so far (both at Bookster and Zitamine). Recently, I heard Sam Corcos, co-founder of Levels, suggest that entrepreneurs should revisit “Lean Start-up” every few months.

I strongly believe in staying organized. To achieve this, we follow the principles from “Scaling Up,” focusing on Priorities, Data, and Rhythm. Each team member has a list of priorities, clear KPIs to measure success, and we meet regularly to keep track of these priorities.

It’s not easy to find product-market fit and build a successful start-up, but I’m excited about what lies ahead. We recently added a medical board to oversee the recommendation algorithm. We’re also including blood test results to make our questionnaire even better. Next year, we hope to take Zitamine to new markets.’

Fashion Tech

Fashion Tech refers to the integration of technology into the fashion industry with the goal to enhance innovation in fashion design, improve the efficiency of production processes, and create new experiences for consumers.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Diana Enachescu, co-founder of Vintello

Vintello is a peer-to-peer marketplace for easy sell & buy of pre-loved premium fashion.

‘A start-up is born out of passion and belief that your idea can bring a real solution to an existing problem. Your mission as a founder is to do your best to give it a chance to bloom and spread, and resilience is the most important ability that can you can develop to overcome obstacles.’

Travel Tech

The aim of travel tech is to make travel more efficient, accessible, and enjoyable for both consumers and providers, encompassing everything from flight and accommodation booking to itinerary planning and in-destination services.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Cristina Galescu, co-founder of Move Mountains

Move Mountains is a marketplace connecting people who want to discover new adventure experiences with instructors or people who can teach or guide them.

‘If I were to convey a single word to women aspiring to grow or scale a business, that word would be “CONFIDENCE.”
In a world where the current statistics lean more towards men, I believe it’s crucial to have confidence in ourselves and not let obstacles bring us down. Trusting ourselves leads to tackling the next important aspects in business: networking and rapid learning.

Founding a business has shown me how quickly I can adapt, connect with new people, learn new things, and that nothing is impossible. Of course, it’s crucial to know how to receive and embrace feedback, but we are so powerful and adaptable that I wish for us to live every day with the belief that anything is possible.’

Fin Tech

FinTech is aimed at making financial services more accessible, efficient, and secure for both businesses and consumers. It has significantly transformed the banking and finance industry by introducing innovative solutions for payments, investment, insurance, and wealth management.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Sorina Miron, co-founder of ThinkOut

ThinkOut is a cash flow analysis and forecasting platform built for entrepreneurs and their small and medium-sized businesses.

‘Obviously, there are a lot of things to do when growing and scaling a startup, but if I had to choose one thing and one thing only, I would have to go with building resilience. Actually do the things you have carefully planned, don’t just leave them at the ideas-on-a-piece-of-paper stage. Even if it seems scary, uncomfortable, or even pointless. The more you do, the easier the “process” becomes, because gradually exposing yourself to situations that make you feel uncomfortable will help you build your resilience. Work on accepting the discomfort that comes with confronting your fears and having the courage to try new things, even if it means failing along the way. I believe that building resilience impacts everything you do, from finding reliable employees to building a supportive network of professionals who can offer guidance, and support and encourage you in achieving your business goals.

This is something that I learned in all these years I’ve been at ThinkOut and I’m trying to remind myself of it every single day: resilience is key.’ 

Clean Tech

Sustainability startups use technology to develop solutions with a more thoughtful footprint on the ecosystem and society. These can include carbon-free transportation alternatives, lower impact digital solutions, products for the circular economy, or eco-friendly packaging.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Iulia Dorobantu, co-founder of Charger

Charger is a marketplace offering solutions, products, and equipment from the green urban mobility market.

‘From my experience, I would say that building a support (eco)system. Entrepreneurship can be challenging, especially when you don’t have a background or academic know-how in the industry, but also when you do.

Having a network of like-minded individuals who understand the struggles and triumphs can provide emotional support and encouragement. This can be translated through: communities you are a part of, mentors, compatible founders, your team, friends or, even, investors. Building a strong ecosystem and network can bring guidance, access to valuable market insights and trends, helping you make informed decisions about your business strategy, support, acces to know-how, potential clients to test your product and, eventually, future funding to help the business grow.’

Prop Tech

Prop Tech aims to streamline and enhance various aspects of real estate, including buying, selling, renting, managing, and investing in properties, thereby making the sector more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly.

24+ Female Founders to Watch for in 2024, TheRecursive.com

Irina Leca, co-founder of Nooka Space

Nooka Space is a tech-enabled network of smart Proximity Office Pods with a mission to redefine productivity on the go.

‘In my journey, the most crucial advice I’d give any young female entrepreneur looking to grow and scale a start-up is: trust in yourself. It sounds simple, yet it’s a profound cornerstone that many women often overlook.
Building self-trust is a process. It starts with continuously learning and improving your skills. Knowledge is power, and the more skilled you are, the more confident you become in your decision-making. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, those who fill you with energy and encourage you to be your best version. This support network is invaluable.

Remember, as a female entrepreneur, your unique perspective is your strength. Trust in that perspective, in your intuition, and in the journey you’re embarking on. It’s this self-belief that will guide you through challenges and help you make your mark in the entrepreneurial world.

I also trusted my intuition when I joined the Nooka Space team and looking ahead, I’m excited to continue steering Nooka Space towards further innovation and impact. We aim to redefine the concept of workspaces, making them more accessible and sustainable for everyone.’

Bravva Angels is a community of investors and female founders looking to build real solutions for a better life.