Empowering Women Tech Entrepreneurs in Georgia Unleashes Innovation

Women in Georgia’s tech sector must navigate the same obstacles as their male counterparts in launching a startup—but on top of that, they also have to contend with another set of mutually reinforcing barriers rooted in people’s expectations of men’s and women’s roles, including  skepticism about their capabilities, lack of female role models, fewer networking opportunities, and difficulties in securing investments and support for their ventures. 

This has real costs for Georgia’s economy. Start-ups create jobs and new products and services, strengthen local and regional value chains, and drive innovation.

Competing on an unequal playing field deprives the country of new enterprises that could boost economic growth and help reduce poverty. Empowering women in tech is essential to unlock Georgia’s full economic potential and remain competitive globally.  

Addressing this gender gap was central to the World Bank’s Georgia National Innovation Ecosystem (GENIE) Project, which, since 2016 to 2023, has played a critical role in boosting the country’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem through trainings, grants, technical assistance, and setting up infrastructure like incubators and regional hubs.

Over half of GENIE beneficiaries have been women, many of whom have not only turned their innovative ideas into successful startups but have also become role models for other aspiring female entrepreneurs—helping lay the foundations for a more inclusive, competitive tech sector.

Supporting Women-Led Start-Ups: Nato and Ana

One of these GENIE success stories is Nato Toronjadze, the founder and CEO of Bizon, one of the leading online Georgian marketplaces for connecting buyers and sellers of heavy machinery and agricultural equipment. 

Building upon the diverse experience of her team members and seeing the need for digital solutions in the leasing of construction and transport equipment, Nato has led her company to survive and thrive. That has not been easy. 

“Our success story was overloaded with hardships. We encountered challenges every step of the way, including the pandemic… as well as some biases you face when you are a female start-upper,” she recalled, reflecting on getting involved in the male-dominated world of machinery leasing. 

“However, we managed to overcome all the obstacles and now we enjoy the results of our success.” Bizon now employs 19 people and even won the Best Tech Startup category of the Grace Hopper Award, which celebrates contributions in technology and women’s empowerment.

Nato is grateful for the validation, funding, as well as the knowledge and networking opportunities GENIE has provided. “GENIE has been instrumental in Bizon’s development. In addition to providing financial assistance, it gave us a lot of knowledge, experience, and helped us build relationships with foreign investors and experts.”

Another award-winning graduate of GENIE is Ana Robakidze, the founder and CEO of Theneo, which is an artificial intelligence-driven platform focused on creating, managing, and publishing high-quality application programming interface (API) documentation. In 2022, Ana won the PITCH contest at one of the world’s most prestigious technology events – the Web Summit. She is an avid advocate and mentor for other women in tech: “It is very important that women are not only to be involved in technology, but also become leaders in this field, and that the future is defined by women and not only men.”

Invigorating Georgia's Start-Up Culture

GENIE’s impact has proved far-reaching with internet vouchers, research grants, and an accelerator program that has helped fan the flames of entrepreneurship. The project's legacy lies in the startup ecosystem it helped build, the beneficial programs it initiated, and in the lives it transformed: over 1,000 households were connected to the internet, over 91 new products and services launched, and a staggering $105 million in private financing catalyzed.

In addition, another key component of GENIE, a digital skills program, supported over 3,500 Georgians gain experience in areas like programming and IT project management. 

GENIE’s efforts are bolstering Georgia’s tech sector and ensuring a more-level playing field for women entrepreneurs like Nato and Ana. And their success creates feedback loops, role models, mentoring opportunities, and networking that will encourage more women into the sector—a boon for Georgia’s growth and competitiveness.  As Ana shares: “Don’t give up, you can show that a woman can be successful in a startup and in the world of technology.”