Tanya Suarez, our CEO named among 25 women shaping tech and venture capital in Europe
Our CEO, Tanya Suarez has been recognised by Tech Funding News as one of 25 women shaping tech and venture capital for international Women’s Day 2026, highlighting her leadership at the intersection of deep tech, policy and investment.
Tanya is featured for her work as Founder and CEO of IoT Tribe, a deep tech accelerator, and BluSpecs, for her broader role in building resilient deep tech ecosystems that connect startups, corporates and public institutions. Her inclusion highlights the importance of ecosystem leaders who can bridge the gap between early-stage innovation, strategic investment and long-term industrial impact.
The Tech Funding News list celebrates founders, investors and ecosystem builders who are reshaping Europe’s technology and venture capital landscape at a time when female-led startups are finally starting to gain a larger share of funding. In 2025, 1,307 European female-founded startups raised €7.5 billion, a 19% year-on-year increase that slightly outpaced the broader VC market’s 18% growth.
Deep tech and AI are leading this surge, accounting for 34% and 25% of capital raised respectively, with landmark rounds from companies such as Synthesia ($180M) and Dexory ($165M) signalling growing investor confidence in female-led innovation
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Yet, whilst the numbers are moving in the right direction, the structural challenges remain real. As Tanya has consistently argued through our work on GENDEX and the Connecting Women in Digital initiative, data transparency, equitable access to funding and dismantling systemic bias are not optional extras, they are prerequisites for building a truly competitive European innovation economy.
Tanya has spent the past decade helping founders and corporates turn advanced technologies into scalable products and services, with particular focus on AI, quantum, cloud-edge-IoT and cybersecurity. She has served as a long-standing jury member for the European Innovation Council, sits on several high-level boards including Quantum Industry Consortium and Trinity College Dublin’s Business School and work closely with EU institutions on programmes that accelerate adoption of strategic technologies while embedding responsible innovation.
Being included in a list of 25 women leading Europe’s tech landscape is a reminder of the responsibility that comes with visibility. For us, is an opportunity to amplify the work being done across our network, from Connecting Women in digital to LEADSx2030 and the deep tech accelerators that are giving the next generation of founders the tools, networks and frameworks they need to succeed.
Europe’s future in technology will only be as strong as the breadth of talent it invests in.