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Best Communities for Female Entrepreneurs in 2026: 18 Free and Paid Networks Online and in Europe | Female Entrepreneurs

TL;DR: what is the best community for female entrepreneurs?

For a free start, join the Fe/male Switch community (online, free START tier, 7,500+ entrepreneurs), Female Founders Rise (UK-wide, 11,000+ founders) or a local Lean In Circle. If you are scaling and want a small, serious peer group, The Next Women in the Netherlands (€1,850 a year) and Female Founders in Vienna are the strongest in Europe. If you want money with your network, look at Founderland (€10,000 grants for women of colour founders) and Coralus. Several famous names, including The Wing, Girls in Tech, Women Who Code and Elpha, have closed, so check before you sign up.

👉 Find startup events where these communities meet
Every founder I know who made it through the hard first years had a group of people to call. For women that group matters even more, because we are still a minority in most founder rooms. But a community only helps if it is alive, has people at your stage and fits your budget. So we checked 18 communities for female entrepreneurs on their own websites in October 2026: who they are for, what they cost, how to join and when they last met.
If you want to understand why community matters so much, read our essay on the role of community in women's entrepreneurial success. For a shorter, opinionated pick of European groups, see European female founder communities worth joining on mean.ceo.

Best Communities for Female Entrepreneurs at a Glance

CommunityBased inBest forCostHow to join
Fe/male SwitchOnline, globalFirst-time women foundersFree START tier; paid tiersSign up at femaleswitch.app
Female Founders RiseUKWomen founders up to £1M revenueFreeOnline form
Women in Tech SwedenStockholmWomen in tech, incl. foundersFreeOnline form
Lean In CirclesGlobalPeer support groupsFreeStart or join a Circle
WEConnect InternationalGlobalWomen-owned firms selling to corporatesFree registration (outside the US)Online registration
Female FoundersVienna, Europe-wideInvestor-ready foundersPaid (Circle)Waitlist
The Next WomenAmsterdam, RotterdamWomen scaling a business€1,850/year excl. VATBy invitation
Women of WearablesUK, globalFemtech, health tech, wearables£100/yearOnline
VdUGermanyWomen business owners€830/year (founders: free year 1)Application
FCE FranceFranceWomen business ownersVaries by regionLocal délégation
FounderlandBerlin, Europe, UKWomen of colour foundersNo fee; €50 grant applicationGrant or member form
European Women in VCEuropeVisibility with investorsFree newsletterSubscribe
CoralusGlobal (online)Ventures with traction and impactCAD 92/monthJoin by 16 Nov 2026
FCEMGlobal federationInternational trade linksVia national associationNational member
EWMDEurope-wide chaptersWomen managers and consultantsNot publishedLocal chapter
Women in Tech Global74+ countriesWomen in technologyNot publishedOnline
Ellevate NetworkUS, onlineProfessional womenPaid tiersOnline
Women Founders NetworkLos AngelesWomen founders pitchingNot publishedOnline
Sources: each community's own website, checked 15 October 2026. Prices change; confirm before you pay.

Free Communities for Female Entrepreneurs

Start here if you are testing an idea or simply want to meet other women who are building something. All five have a free way in.

Fe/male Switch: a women-first startup game and community

For: first-time founders, women first; male co-founders welcome · Cost: free START tier; paid LEARN and PLAY tiers · Size: 7,500+ entrepreneurs have joined
Full disclosure: this one is ours. Fe/male Switch is an online startup game with a community built in. The free START tier gives you the community forum, an online lounge to meet other players, missions, a marketplace and a leaderboard. The paid tiers add the Skill Lab, AI tools and teaming up with other players to build a startup together, with an AI co-founder and startup experts as game masters. It works from anywhere, so it suits women who can't get to evening meet-ups.

Female Founders Rise (UK)

For: women and non-binary entrepreneurs, from idea to exit; most support targets businesses up to £1M revenue · Cost: free to join · Next event: Female Founders Rise LIVE Show, 19 October 2026
With more than 11,000 founders, this is one of the biggest free female entrepreneur communities in Europe. Members get events, masterclasses and a newsletter; some programs, such as the Fundraising Accelerator, are priced separately, while the Summer School is free. Join on the website.

Women in Tech Sweden

For: women in tech, including founders · Cost: free, with no obligations · Last big event: #WITswe2026 conference, Stockholm, 22 April 2026
A large Swedish community with meet-ups, a yearly conference and job offers. Not founder-only, but a strong network if you are building in tech in the Nordics. See the website.

Lean In Circles

For: any woman who wants a small peer group · Cost: free to start and join · Format: online or local, with meeting guides
A Circle is a group of women who meet regularly to support each other. It is not founder-specific, so the trick is to start or join a Circle of founders in your city. Lean In runs free training for Circle leaders. Details on the website.

WEConnect International

For: businesses at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by women · Cost: free registration outside the US; certification fees not published · Gets you: visibility with large corporate buyers
This is a network for selling, not chatting: registered and certified women-owned businesses become visible to corporate buyers looking for diverse suppliers. If you sell B2B, it can open doors that no social community will. Register on the website.

Paid Communities and Networks for Women Entrepreneurs in Europe

A paid membership makes sense when you are past the idea stage and want a smaller group of women who face the same problems you do. Use our guide to networking platforms for female founders to compare online options too.

Female Founders (Vienna)

For: women founders, leaders and investors across Europe · Cost: FF Circle is a paid yearly membership; price not published · Also: a 4-week bootcamp, the FFX gathering and the €28M Fund F
Female Founders says it has 87,000 active members across Europe and runs one of the region's best-known programs for women founders. Its FFX gathering brings 120 founders, investors and leaders together by application; the last one was in Vienna in May 2026. Join the Circle waitlist on the website.

The Next Women (Netherlands)

For: women already building and scaling a business: not idea-stage, not freelance · Cost: €1,850 per year excluding VAT · Join: by invitation (email the membership team)
Monthly small-group masterminds, quarterly socials, dinners and an annual weekend. It is the most serious peer group on this list for women scaling a company in the Netherlands. Dinners and the weekend are paid separately. See the website.

Women of Wearables (UK, global)

For: women in femtech, health tech and wearables, including founders · Cost: £100 a year for individuals; £2,000 for businesses · Size: 20,000+ members
A niche community with a content library, a global members' directory and free access to its conferences and webinars. If you build in health or femtech, this is the specialist network to join. See the website.

VdU – Verband der Unternehmerinnen (Germany)

For: women business owners, managers, successors and founders · Cost: €250 joining fee, then €830 net a year; founders pay no fee in their first calendar year · Try it: 6 months free as an Interessentin
Germany's established association of women entrepreneurs, with regional groups, national events and policy lobbying. Its she succeeds award takes place on 5 November 2026. The free first year makes it a good deal for new founders. See the website.

FCE France – Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises

For: women business owners and leaders in France · Cost: depends on your company size and local group · Join: through your nearest délégation
A national network built on local groups, with events such as FCE Nice on 24 November 2026. It suits women who already run a company and want local business contacts. Find your délégation on the website.

Female Founder Communities With Funding Attached

Some communities do more than connect you: they put money or investors in reach. These three are worth a look if you are raising. For the full picture of funding options, read venture capital for female founders.

Founderland (Berlin, Europe and UK)

For: women of colour founders; grant applicants must be early-stage · Money: Forward Grant: €10,000 equity-free · Next window: 1 October to 31 December 2026
Founderland runs regional chapters, workshops and webinars, and eligible grant applicants receive community membership. The grant application costs €50, with fee waivers available. Apply on the website.

Coralus (formerly SheEO)

For: ventures already well underway, with customers and impact · Cost: CAD 92 a month or CAD 1,100 for the yearly cycle · Dates: venture applications by 4 November 2026; join by 16 November to vote
Members pool money each year and vote on which ventures to back. One caution: its current venture page no longer mentions gender as a criterion, so it may not stay women-only. Details on the website.

European Women in VC

For: senior women investors; founders benefit through visibility · Cost: free newsletter · Useful for founders: its "Women Founders to Watch" series
This is an investors' network, so you won't join as a founder, but following it shows you which women investors are active in Europe. Subscribe on the website.

International Women Entrepreneurs Networks

FCEM – Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises Mondiales

For: women entrepreneurs who trade internationally · Join: through a national member association, such as ASEME in Spain or BAWE in the UK
A global federation that runs working groups and Business Bridge matchmaking between countries. Useful once you are ready to export. See the website.

EWMD – European Women's Management Development

For: women managers, consultants, trainers and researchers · Format: Europe-wide chapters, an annual meeting and learning journeys
A leadership network rather than a founder network, but strong for freelancers and consultants building a client base. Chapter events include Linz on 21 October 2026. See the website.

Women in Tech Global

For: women in technology, with a business pillar for entrepreneurs · Reach: 74+ country chapters
Summits, awards, workshops and a resource library. Look for your country chapter, as activity varies a lot between them. See the website.

Ellevate Network

For: professional women, including founders · Format: online roundtables, chapters and small "Squads" · Cost: paid tiers; check the current price
US-based but online, so it works from Europe if US time zones suit you. See the website.

Women Founders Network (Los Angeles)

For: women founders · Known for: its annual Fast Pitch competition; the 14th edition is on 21 October 2026 at UCLA
A nonprofit with a strong pitch event, worth following if you plan to raise in the US. See the website.

Female Founder Communities That Closed

Older lists still recommend these. We checked each one in October 2026:
  • The Wing: closed all its spaces in 2022.
  • Girls in Tech: closed in July 2024 for lack of funding.
  • Women Who Code: closed in 2024, according to its own site.
  • Elpha: its site says it has shut down.
  • Femstreet: no newsletter since June 2024.
  • AllBright clubs: the London club closed after administration; only an online learning platform remains.
  • HeyMama: the website is a "coming soon" page.
We also could not find any active Slack or Discord community for women founders in 2026. Most active communities now run on their own platforms and announce events on Luma.

How to Choose a Community for Female Entrepreneurs

  1. Look for people at your stage. An idea-stage founder and a woman running a €2M company need different conversations.
  2. Check that it is alive. Look for an event in the last three months. Several big names on older lists have closed.
  3. Talk to two members first. Ask what they actually got from it in the last year.
  4. Know the real cost. Add VAT, joining fees and paid extras such as dinners or retreats.
  5. Decide online or in person. Local groups build deeper trust; online groups fit around children and a job.
  6. Pick one that brings something concrete: customers (WEConnect), money (Founderland, Coralus), skills or a peer group.

How to Get Real Value From a Founder Community

Joining is the easy part. Most women I see get value from a community when they treat it like a project:
  • Show up three times in a row. Trust builds through repeated contact, not one great event.
  • Ask for one specific thing. "Who knows a Dutch accountant for freelancers?" gets answers; "I'd love to connect" doesn't.
  • Give first. Share a template, an intro or a lesson from your own mistakes.
  • Find two or three close peers. A small group you call every month is worth more than 500 contacts. If you feel alone, read about lonely founder syndrome.
  • Use it to find people, not just advice: a co-founder, a mentor or your first customers.
Build your startup alongside other founders

In the Fe/male Switch startup game you don't just talk about your business: you build it in weekly quests with an AI co-founder, alongside other women doing the same, so you have real progress to share with your community.

👉 Start building your startup in the game

Conclusion: Join One Free and One Focused Community

You don't need ten memberships. Join one free community to meet women at your stage, and one focused group that brings what you need most right now: peers who scale, customers or funding. Then add a program with a cohort, such as the ones in our guide to entrepreneurship training programs for women, and build the support systems every female entrepreneur needs.

FAQ: Communities for Female Entrepreneurs

What is the best community for female entrepreneurs?

It depends on your stage. Female Founders Rise and Lean In Circles are good free starting points; The Next Women and Female Founders in Vienna suit women scaling a company; Founderland and Coralus add funding.

Are there free communities for female entrepreneurs?

Yes. The Fe/male Switch community (free START tier), Female Founders Rise, Women in Tech Sweden and Lean In Circles are free to join, and WEConnect International offers free registration outside the US.

How much does a female founder network cost?

From free to about €1,850 a year. The Next Women costs €1,850 excluding VAT, VdU €830 net a year after a free first year for founders, and Women of Wearables £100 a year.

Which communities for women entrepreneurs are in Europe?

Female Founders (Vienna), The Next Women (Netherlands), Founderland (Berlin), VdU (Germany), FCE France, Women in Tech Sweden, Female Founders Rise (UK) and EWMD are all based in Europe.

Is there an online community for women entrepreneurs?

Yes. Fe/male Switch, Lean In Circles, Ellevate Network, Coralus and Women in Tech Global all run online, and Female Founders Rise mixes online and in-person events.

Are there communities for women of colour founders in Europe?

Founderland, based in Berlin, works across Europe and the UK with women of colour founders, and its Forward Grant gives €10,000 equity-free.

Is The Wing still open?

No. The Wing closed all its spaces in 2022. Girls in Tech, Women Who Code and Elpha have also closed.

Is there a Slack community for women founders?

We could not find an active one in 2026: Femstreet, Beam and Elpha are no longer running. Most active communities now use their own platforms and Luma for events.

How do I find a female entrepreneur community near me?

Check national associations such as VdU or FCE, look for a Lean In Circle in your city, and go to local startup events, where community organisers often speak.

Is a paid community for female entrepreneurs worth it?

It is worth it when the members are at your stage and it brings something concrete, such as peers who scale, customers or investors. Talk to two members before paying; for more on building your network, see our guide to personal branding for female entrepreneurs.
2026-10-15 18:31 Guides