In Helsinki in May, the ceos of Finland's 30 hottest Internet start-ups presented their companies to venture capitalists on a European tech tour. Glass ceilings exist in old economy companies but the new economy was supposed to be different, opening up a new world of opportunities for women. There are exceptions to the rule, but there are fewer women in the business fields like engineering and computer sciences that produce high-tech entrepreneurs. The number of women on the path to senior management therefore diminishes at every step. It's not just a matter of choice.
Men still control the capital, and discrimination is a factor.
Ingo Krocke, a partner in the Munich office of venture capital firm Wellington Partners, says men have had an easier time getting funded, but he thinks the balance is shifting. In the early days of the Internet the louder you shouted the more attention you got, but that is changing now. I think women will have a great future in this industry. Perhaps, but the European women leading the way are finding it to be an uphill battle. The situation is no better for women who already have children.