DWEN published the findings of the 2023 Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) Index, which ranked 55 international cities according to their capacity to draw in and support high-potential women entrepreneurs (HPWE) who aspire to accomplish more, scale businesses more quickly, and prosper.

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well among women, who are starting and growing businesses at a rapid pace. In order to support this trend, many cities around the world are offering resources, funding, and networking opportunities specifically for female entrepreneurs. As a result, certain cities have become hubs for women in business, offering a supportive and encouraging environment for women to start and grow their companies. In this article, we will explore the top cities for women entrepreneurs, highlighting the resources and opportunities available in each location. On January 26, 2023, DWEN published the findings of the 2023 Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) Index, which ranked 55 international cities according to their capacity to draw in and support high-potential women entrepreneurs (HPWE) who aspire to accomplish more, scale businesses more quickly, and prosper.

Dell Technologies is dedicated to accelerating the increasingly significant role that women play in fostering economic growth around the world. Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network is a steadfast illustration of Dell's dedication to advancing human progress (DWEN). Since 2009, DWEN has been dedicated to achieving the same goal: to help women entrepreneurs grow their businesses by leveraging technology, community, and resources. As a global network, DWEN helps more than 80,000 members who are women entrepreneurs who have proven to be the engines of our global economy. The community is present online, through a network of local chapters, and through worldwide special interest groups.

The expanding WE Cities research rates cities based on the influence of local policies, programmes, and characteristics, as well as national laws and norms, on women entrepreneurs and the general economy, building on annual research conducted since 2016. WE Cities illustrates how the business environment is interconnected via technology (e.g., markets, capital, talent and culture). The Index ranks international business hubs according to their general potential for scalability by women and acts as a diagnostic tool to educate authorities on how to better support women in business.

Key Insights

Dell's 2023 WE Cities Index, as well as its complementary study, the Women Entrepreneurs and Tech Deep Dive Report, provides some intriguing insights. With the inclusion of five new cities this year, competition is increasing. Cities that stagnate are left behind. As measured by pillar, more cities are ranking among the "top five." In 2023, 17 different cities, as opposed to 12 in 2019, are represented in the top places by pillar.

The minor improvement in access to mentors and role models was barely offset by the decline in policy scores and attitude and expectation scores.

The pandemic exhibits some retreat, particularly in the pillars of talent and culture. Positive tales about female corporate executives have been flooding news cycles as a result of the numerous globe upheavals, helping to change perceptions and expectations for women. In addition, since the 2019 index, we have seen falls in the proportion of female to male executives. Despite the fact that women now have more experience and abilities than men do, the talent pool that women entrepreneurs have access to as a whole has a somewhat lower median score.

Dublin and Dubai, however, are the two cities that have improved the most consistently between 2017 and 2019 and between 2019 and 2023. Only three American cities—Portland (Oregon), Atlanta, and Miami—saw improvements in both years. Of the top three global cities, only London’s score has improved during both periods. The top 10 went from having seven of the 10 cities from the U.S. to having six of the 10 from the U.S. This year, two new cities—one from the United States and one from the Asia-Pacific region—entered the top 10.

The connectivity of cities, particularly in terms of download speeds and cell coverage (speed and latency), is a key differentiator as 5G standards and investments continue to be implemented. Strong cellphone coverage that enables multi-tasking women company owners to operate their enterprises anywhere is crucial. Contrary to popular belief, technology has the capacity to replace market size by extending market opportunity. In other words, the digital market can extend a city's traditional physical market. When it causes internet congestion and drives up expenses, the scale of the market can also be a problem.

Delhi and Shanghai have seen their scores rise the most from 2017 (the benchmark year).

The 2023 Dell WE Cities Index showed overall advancement. The median score increased by 3.3 points since 2019, and all pillars saw increases in their median scores with the exception of culture, which saw a 2.1-point decline.

APAC tops this year's momentum scores and is the technological leader

The WE Cities Index includes 55 cities, 12 of which are in the Asia Pacific area. Among others, there are Singapore (Rank 22), Sydney (Rank 9), and Melbourne (Rank 12).

Sydney, which recently made the top 10, is ranked among the top 10 cities for talent, capital, and culture.

Beijing and Copenhagen both have high tech rankings, making them hubs for women-owned firms.

How You Can Support Women's Entrepreneurship Around the World

More than ever, the world needs women who can rock! Each of us can make a difference by mobilising our networks to support women entrepreneurs who scale.

Mentoring: Providing advice and assistance to female business owners.

Funding: Contribute to or invest in funds for female entrepreneurs.

Networking: Introduce female business owners to possible clients, collaborators, and investors.

Skills development: Provide women with the training and chances for growth they need to achieve. 

Policy advocacy: Advocate for legislation that supports female entrepreneurs, such as equal pay and financial access.

Representation: Increase the visibility and representation of women in entrepreneurial and executive positions in the corporate world.

Collaboration: Collaboration is key to maximising the effect of your initiatives to empower women business owners.