Women and STEM graduates  are underrepresented in EU private equity, venture capital and private debt markets, affecting the quality of EU innovation. To address this gap, the Institute and the European Investment Fund (EIF) are joining forces to launch a brand-new joint initiative, the Empowering Equity Academy.

By leveraging the Institute’s extensive partnerships with universities across Europe and the EIF unparalleled access to the European VC market, the Academy will encourage especially female students focusing on science, technology, and math (STEM), and sustainability subjects consider a career in venture capital and private equity investing.

As highlighted by a joint EIF and Invest Europe study from October 2023, women hold only 14% of top-ranked positions in venture capital firms in Europe, while they account for 35% of lower-ranked positions. The Empowering Equity Academy will address these critical gaps by providing specialized training for STEM and sustainability students, nurturing the next generation of experts. At the same time and recognizing the need for greater female representation it will empower women to thrive in finance.

The EIB Institute will serve as the entry point for universities. It will raise awareness amongst their students and identify and pre-select relevant profiles for the Academy.  The EIF will offer a comprehensive online and on-site curriculum along with networking and real case studies. It will bridge the gap by providing specialized training in STEM fields and sustainability and nurture the next generation of experts

Thanks to the Empowering Equity Academy, in September up to 40 students will benefit from a fully-fledged online training programme in how Europe’s private equity markets work as well as to network with some of the best fund managers in Europe during the EIF’s flagship annual venture capital event Ugly Duck to be held in October in Luxembourg.

The EIB Group aims to embed gender equality, and in particular women’s economic empowerment, in its business model and is also committed to driving gender equality in its workplace.

So let’s build a brighter future. Together. Learn more about Empowering Equity Academy and contact us at EEA@eib.org