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Kathy Gao

It began as an idea to bring a few businesswomen together and has become a launchpad for female entrepreneurs.
The small WeChat group former journalist Gao Kun started in October has grown from a few people to 9,000 registered users, giving women-led start-ups a platform to promote their businesses and share experience.
“I found many of the former female executives I had interviewed quit their jobs to start their own companies. I thought I should bring them together in a WeChat group,” she said.
Gao is one of a growing number of women founding their own tech start-ups in China in areas ranging from hi-tech online applications, to children’s supplies and payment software.
The tech start-up scene has boomed in the past two years, with more than 4.8 million companies registered since March 2014 to May 2015, according to China.org.cn.
Ling Zihan, founder and chief executive of TechBase, China’s first tech accelerator for women-led start-ups, estimated that women founded roughly one-tenth of those new ventures.
That is on par with the United States where women were part of the executive team of 13 per cent of start-ups in 2014, according to Dell’s Global Women Entrepreneur Leaders Scorecard.
We are giving a speech tonight. But I will let my [male] partner make the speech because the people in the audience will all be male venture capitalists
Zhao Kokying, co-founder of car parking app Uboche
One of the biggest success stories is former stay-at-home mother Liu Nan. Liu founded Mia, China’s biggest cross-border online retailer of maternal and children’s supplies, which secured US$150 million in its forth round of financing in September.
Ling said there were many more women out there making their mark in the online business world but their efforts were underreported, making it harder for female entrepreneurs to find role models.
Women entrepreneurs also often find it more difficult to attract interest from venture capitalists, something Zhao Kok-ying, co-founder of car parking app Uboche, knows only too well.
“We are giving a speech tonight. But I will let my [male] partner make the speech because the people in the audience will all be male venture capitalists,” Zhao said. “Venture capitalists, most of whom are men, discriminate against women and they don’t really know about women entrepreneurs.”
Zhao said that assessment was confirmed at a conference when a venture capitalist told his female audience that he would never invest in a start-up led by a woman because three previous such investments had failed.
But she said there were differences in business goals between men and women.
“Men who found start-ups are more ambitious and want their companies to go public whereas women tend to focus on community building,” Zhao said.
Ling, of TechBase, said another barrier for women were the doubts about their capacity to lead and have a business vision.
Women executives have always been questioned about whether they can work under pressure
Ling Zihan, founder of TechBase
“Women executives have always been questioned about whether they can work under pressure and whether they can successfully lead a team. So they have to work extremely hard to prove themselves,” Ling said.
According to Gao, the biggest challenge is building a team.
“Most men don’t want to be led by women and many business partners will leave soon after a company is set up,” she said.
Gao started her company with 10 people but five have left despite the business’s rapid growth and almost immediate profitability.
Then there is the unequal burden of family responsibilities. Despite the gains in gender equality, women in China are still expected to have a bigger share of duties in the home.
“I think the biggest challenge for women start-up executives or any women entrepreneurs is balancing work and family,” said Gang Shuge, deputy director of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.
“I think the government should have more incentives for female entrepreneurs and they should improve the business environment to encourage more women to start their own business.”
Shanghai-based Li Tao is balancing life as an entrepreneur and a single mother with a 19-month-old daughter. She has juggled responsibilities to found two start-ups – one in international online payments and the other in developing an app to connect IVF clinics and couples.
“My neighbour helps me to take care of my daughter when I’m at work and on longer business trips, I take my daughter with me,” Li said.
Li encourages women to start their own business if – and only if – they have a good idea.
“Women have to be strong, find a business model and have the right partner before establishing their own business,” Li said.


A woman’s place is in ... China’s start-up tech world

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Entrepreneur Gao Kun is one of a growing number of women founding their own tech start-ups. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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China

Money & Wealth

Female entrepreneurs are building successful businesses but there are still big barriers to entry and discrimination
