Project MOSAIC: The inclusive initiative aimed at developing the funding landscape for under-represented entrepreneurs!

FEM-START had the pleasure of sitting down with its CEO and founder Marian Spier to discuss the MOSAIC project. The MOSAIC initiative is born out of the union of 6 companies, Le LABA and SINGA from France, REDI from Romania, MOMENTUM from Ireland, TheVisionWorks from Germany, EUEI from Denmark, and FEM-START from the Netherlands!

The EU-sponsored MOSAIC project aims to develop a tool adult educators can use to better incorporate marginalized entrepreneurs into the investment market. FEM-START is a part of the MOSAIC project consortium team to foster inclusive representation in the funding ecosystem through the European landscape.

Read on to find out what MOSAIC’s mission is all about and how it will impact the future of entrepreneurship!

Hi Marian! Excited to discuss FEM-START’s recent involvement in the Mosaic.EU Project. Can you introduce us to what Project MOSAIC is?

The MOSAIC EU project shares FEM-START’s mission of bridging the funding gap, with a unique focus. It aims to provide solutions for adult educators to train underrepresented founders on funding. The EU consortium includes the Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Denmark, France, and Ireland. Our initial transnational project meeting, hosted by Singa and Le Laba French teams, involved testing the topic and lexicon, ultimately settling on underrepresented founders. Momentum from Ireland is focused on education. While EUEI based in Denmark is focused on technological development. Germany’s VisionWorks and Romania’s REDI contribute to delivering their expertise to the project. FEM-START will be in charge of communications and dissemination.

What led FEM-START to join the MOSAIC initiative?

I was invited by Maud (LE LABA team leader) in April 2022, to give a presentation on entrepreneurship and culture to the French Minister of Culture. She discovered FEM-START through an article in the Holland Herald magazine and saw our focus on visibility for female entrepreneurs. A year later, she approached me with the idea of an education-focused project on bridging the funding gap, marking FEM-START’s first EU project. It’s a soft step, allowing time for in-depth research and collaboration with experienced cross-cultural teams.

What are the goals, and anticipated outcomes of Project Mosaic?

The primary objective is to equip adult educators in the entrepreneurship field with tools to empower underrepresented founders in raising funding. We hope to extend this within the European Union.

Why is it crucial to spotlight underrepresented founders?

It is crucial in addressing a significant gap in data! Underrepresented founders, especially non-visible founders in the ecosystem, face serious challenges in fundraising. Through education, we aim to bridge this gap and support them in securing funding for their businesses. We need to see different perspectives and bring in new ideas in the landscape. The lack of access is preventing them from sharing their brilliant innovative ideas that can most definitely solve modern challenges our society is encountering.

What’s on the horizon for Project MOSAIC? Any developments to look forward to?

This is a two-year project that will conclude by the end of 2025, with a presentation of research, results, and outcomes. We’ve already conducted interviews with underrepresented founders, educators, and investors. The next steps involve disseminating findings and creating a stakeholder map to clarify roles in the ecosystem for effective fundraising. FEM-START looks forward to working with our consortium in contributing to this lacking research area and making some positive changes!

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