EmpowHerMent Story: Nícia Ferreira, Co-founder of PURR.AI, on the importance of building a network and learning the language of investors 

In this conversation, Nícia reveals why she made the jump from academia into entrepreneurship and highlights the importance of learning how to speak to investors and creating a network who can open the doors for you. 
 

Could you briefly tell us about PURR.AI and about how you got started as an entrepreneur? 

PURR.AI is building an AI-driven platform to design peptide therapeutics that can cross the blood brain barrier and tackle brain diseases, so that the drugs can access where they are needed. 

I started as researcher, but I quickly realized that to turn ideas into real treatments, you need to build a company, not just publish papers and stay in academia. 

What has been your personal experience with accessing funding as a woman entrepreneur, and how has it shaped your business journey? 

I’ll say that, at the beginning, I did not see it as a gender problem but more of a problem of not speaking the language of investors. So, learning how to network and how to translate science into business language is what is truly essential, and that’s how we aim to shape our business journey from now on. 

Would you say that the challenges you’ve faced are more connected to having a background in academia than to gender bias? 

I think that's more of a problem, yes, but you also have to stand your ground from day one. Sometimes you can tell that maybe because me and my co-founder are women, the science part is being underestimate from the other technical or financial discussions. In these cases, we have to adapt our language and prove that we are the ones in the room who are aware of everything, so that we can claim ownership and be convincing. 

What role do you think investors can play in closing the funding gap for woman entrepreneurs or perhaps even spotting good solutions from people who may come from a different background and not have learned these “language of investment” yet? 

I think investors should definitely check their bias from the start, but also evaluate founders and give them time to explain. Being from a deeptech company, I really think that each time I pitch, different doubts and different problems arise. 

And so, you only have to give it enough time to be explained and to be convincing and then tie it to the execution and, of course, to the reliability of the business. 

What advice would you give to aspiring female founders? 

First, learn the language of investors. Second, know the numbers: brush up on them and learn them inside out. And, also, build a network, build your allies. Get these people to open doors for you, but also give them brutally honest feedback, because you can only improve based on that. 

You also shouldn’t go into things with the idea that there is going to be gender bias, because then you will create your own bias, which can shape your meeting with VCs, for example. 
 

 
What were the highlights of the Matchmaking on Digital Technologies for you? 

Meeting investors that were aligned with us and getting meetings with them afterwards. Getting this matchmaking process going is really important. We’re always looking for more feedback on our pitch and idea, so receiving questions from the investors is really important for us to frame our public appearances. And, of course, it’s always good to listen to peers presenting similar challenges and being so inspiring to us as well. 

 
What first motivated you to apply for the event? 

We wanted to get to know more investors, to be out in the open, to connect to more people. Doing this networking is a part of the business, because you never know if there’s someone in the room who is truly listening and who will truly be a match for you. 

 
What would you say to entrepreneurs who may be considering applying for upcoming matchmaking events? 
 

Definitely go as many times as you are able to. It's a chance to refine your pitch, to meet investors who already have their bias checked because they are a part of the WomenINvestEU network or know that the event is a part of it. You can test your story with real investors and build a network for the future. 

 
About the EmpowHerMent Stories 

From now on, WomenINvestEU will be publishing regular stories on women entrepreneurs, women in leadership roles in the investment sector and representatives of wider organizations on gender-focused investing.  

Thorough these stories, we are celebrating the achievements of remarkable women at all levels of the supply chain and inspiring you on your journey to raise capital or become a gender-conscious investor. 

About the WomenINvestEU Matchmaking Events 

As a part of its effort to expand the gender-focused investment ecosystem across Europe, WomenINvestEU is organizing online matchmaking events to connect women-led startups with members of its European Network of Gender-Conscious Investors. 

Representatives of women-led startups, as well as startups with women in C-level positions, can apply for the chance to participate in these events through regular open calls. The selected startups will also receive pitching support on strategic topics, in order to prepare for their interactions with the gender-conscious investors in attendance. 

Visit our Events page and stay tuned for upcoming opportunities.