Female founders, investors, and programs reshaping AI entrepreneurship

This cluster spotlights women at the center of new AI ventures and ecosystems. Phoebe Gates is building Phia, a $185M AI shopping assistant startup she wants judged on its own merits, while South African business leader Magda Wierzycka is launching a venture fund to back local AI startups. Alongside them, an AI Ventures Accelerator offers free training, mentorship, and funding support for women aged 19–24 to launch AI companies, signaling a broader push to expand women’s influence in AI innovation and capital allocation.