We built Stripe Atlas to help entrepreneurs from all over the globe start and run an internet business, no matter which industry they're in, where they're based, or their gender or ethnicity. However, women are still not starting companies or raising money at nearly the same rate as men—women made up only 7% of founders whose companies received more than $20M in VC funding between 2009 and 2015. We believe that a more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem leads to better products and services for everyone.

Today is International Women's Day, so we wanted to share the stories of five of the incredible female founders who have used Atlas to start and build their companies.

Tress

Based in Ghana, cofounders Priscilla Hazel, Esther Olatunde, and Cassandra Sarfo created Tress, a social app for black women to discover and share hairstyle inspiration. Tress offers its users a place to browse different hair categories and engage with a community of black women and hair enthusiasts. The founders' unique experiences as black women inform the development of the company and also help them empathize with their users and anticipate the needs of women worldwide. Tress' Android app has been downloaded over 100,000 times and they recently released an iOS app.

CM Reservas

Founded by Cinthia Gawianski in Argentina, CM Reservas offers online booking and management tools for hotels in 14 countries across Latin America. Although she founded the company in 2013, Cinthia turned to Atlas last year to expand to the US market. Today, hundreds of hotel clients rely on CM Reservas for hotel reservation management services.

May28th

Seven years ago, Agni Tilla founded May28th, an e-commerce platform offering jewelry and watch customization. Since then, she has lived in five countries and worked with employees all around the world. Agni is now located in Latvia and has expanded her business to the US, where shipping for the company is now based. May28th has collaborated with designers like Kate Spade and Anthropologie, and has been featured in magazines and TV shows including the Today Show, Good Morning America, New York Magazine, and Marie Claire.

We're inspired by Priscilla, Esther, Cassandra, Cinthia, Agni, and the many more female founders who are building unique businesses with global reach. If you'd like to learn more about getting your business off the ground, check out our Atlas guides or apply to Atlas.