InnovateHerInvestor Summit
International investors and women founders, together on the Mediterranean.
An investor summit in Sardinia
Hosted by CREA UniCa - Università degli Studi di Cagliari, organized by Nuleep, and funded by the Regional Planning Center - Autonomous Region of Sardinia, InnovateHer brings together investors (venture funds, family offices, and limited partners) alongside women founders from Silicon Valley and Europe for two days focused on women-led companies. Expect roundtables, direct introductions, and working dinners set along Sardinia’s Mediterranean coastline. Attendance is free and open by invitation; the summit is built for the direct conversations that rarely happen at larger conferences.
- Keynotes
- Silicon Valley executives and investors: Alexandra Dumas (Google) and Deborah Magid (NextStar Venture Partners, formerly IBM Ventures)
- Investor sessions, alongside signature experiences
- Private LP roundtables with Silicon Valley and European investors. A private tasting and story with a Sardinian winemaker, a yacht excursion along the Mediterranean coast, a tour of Sardinia’s ancient archaeological sites, and world-class cuisine
- Pitch competition
- The winning company receives an equity investment from Prospera Alpha Ventures; terms are shared with selected finalists before they pitch
- Program
- Two days structured around closed-door roundtables and curated 1:1s
- For founders
- Selection criteria and participation details are shared on acceptance
Organized across two continents, convened on one island
Elona Marku
Featured speakers
Alexandra Dumas
Head of VC & Startup Partnerships, Google
Alfredo Coppola
Chairman, Prospera Alpha VenturesCo-CEO, US Market Access Center
Audra Shallal
Founder & CEO, Innivia VenturesCo-founder & Co-Chair, EBAN Sports · Board Member, EBAN
Deborah Magid
Co-founder & Managing Director, NextStar Venture Partners
Emilija Kuleša
Senior Investment Analyst, Coinvest Capital
Grace Park
CEO, NuleepCo-CEO, Prospera Alpha Ventures
Leah Edwards
Partner, Pegasus Tech VenturesLecturer, Stanford & UC Berkeley
Maria Chiara Di Guardo
Professor of Innovation, University of CagliariScientific Director, InnovateHer Investor Summit 2026
Marjolein Shiamatey
Senior Strategic Agency Manager, Google
Paulina Szyzdek
Principal, E12 Ventures
Rita Anson
Secretary General & COO, NorBAN
Scott Nisbet
Partner, Berkeley Gateway Accelerator
Snehal Shah
Founder, Good Investor ClubFounded in 2024 by the University of Cagliari and Prospera Alpha Ventures, InnovateHer has traveled from Cagliari to San Francisco, and back
The prize is an equity investment
Selected founders present to the summit’s investors in a closed session. The winning company receives an equity investment from Prospera Alpha Ventures, together with introductions across the summit’s network. Founders can indicate interest in the pitch competition when requesting an invitation.
Attendance is by application
There is no fee to request an invitation; participation is confirmed on acceptance.
Request an invitation- Request. Submit your details and role: investor, founder (with optional pitch-competition interest), or ecosystem leader.
- Review. The organizing team evaluates each request.
- Confirmation. Accepted guests receive the full program and travel notes.
The people moving capital, from all over the world
Investors and founders join from Silicon Valley and Europe, and the wider InnovateHer community carries the summit across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Featured companies
