On May 12, 2026, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) hosts an online session examining how venture capital shapes innovation in the age of AI, and what this means for women founders and inventors.
Access to finance remains a structural barrier for women innovators and entrepreneurs. In emerging markets and developing economies, women-owned small businesses face an estimated credit gap of USD 1.9 trillion, representing around one-third of unmet financing needs. This gap continues to affect their ability to research, develop, protect and commercialize innovation, and participate fully in innovation ecosystems. The session forms part of the Women and Intellectual Property (IP) Symposium for IP and Innovation Offices, and features Iynna Halilou, General Partner at the MBA Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm supporting founders from leading global innovation ecosystems. The fund has invested in over 180 companies across sectors such as fintech, AI, data and space technologies.
Ms. Halilou shares insights from an investor perspective on what drives venture capital decision-making, how emerging technologies influence investment priorities, and what this means for founders who seek to scale innovation. Under her leadership, the share of female-led companies in the fund’s portfolio has increased from 30% to 42%, reflecting a merit-based investment approach.
We are at an inflection point. AI has collapsed the cost of building a company, but the bar to building a company has never been higher.” says Ms. Halilou “The founders who will win are the ones who move faster and understand earlier what makes something defensible and built to last. That knowledge and execution gap is where the opportunity lies.
– Iynna Halilou
WIPO invites participants to join this session online, open to the public, to gain a better understanding of current investment dynamics and explore how participation of women in innovation ecosystems and intellectual property systems can further be strengthened.