Throughout our conversation, Julia explained what makes Afterwind’s solution to recycle glass fibre composites unique and touched on how women-led innovation is addressing some of Europe’s most pressing challenges.
Could you tell us about your background and about how you joined Afterwind?
My first job was in microfinance, at an impact investing company called Symbiotics, but I spent most of my career at JP Morgan. Throughout my time there, I held several different roles at the COO level and got used to running big divisions and budgets and to implementing strategic projects at a global level. Even so, my passion and heart always stayed in impact investing. Two years ago, I thought I would go back to my roots, and that’s how I got involved with Afterwind. At first, I thought I was coming into the company as an investor, but as soon as I understood the materials, the technology and the possibilities, there was no going back for me. I realized that this was the company that I wanted to build, and I want to keep doing that for a long time.
What is Afterwind’s solution and why do you think it has the potential to play a role in Europe’s Green Transition?
Afterwind recycles glass fibre composites. We are preserving natural resources for future generations by valorising end-of-life composites or production byproducts into new circular secondary materials. Our goal is not to remanufacture anything, but to produce virgin-grade material that can be integrated back into the industrial value chain.
When we talk about recycling glass fibre composites, the image that always springs to mind is that of a wind turbine blade. Although that’s by far our biggest application and the one most people know about, the truth is that glass fibre composites are used everywhere. You can find them on buses, on cars, on buildings and infrastructure, and they are really hard to recycle precisely because they are built for performance and durability. That’s why breaking them apart and creating something of value from them is close to impossible. Our technology can solve this problem. We are not the only ones working on solutions to address this, but the challenge is doing it at scale and, at Afterwind, we are already working in an industrial setting.
What has been your personal experience with accessing funding as a woman entrepreneur, and how has it shaped your business journey?
I wish I could say that there is no difference between men and women when applying for funding, because I don't think there should be. Yet, there is, and I think it’s often because we impose limits to ourselves instead of believing in what we can do and being ambitious and confident in our skills. We impose these limits on ourselves when we go for investment rounds as well, and we should change our approach and stop being afraid of being ambitious. In the end, if you shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.We have to change this mindset to put ourselves in a position where we have the same opportunities as male founders.
Getting funded is difficult for everyone, not only women. Male founders face many hurdles as well. The difference is that we have to be kinder to ourselves and more intentional, so we can reach the same outcomes and access the same opportunities.
Do you think it’s mostly a mindset problem or that there is existing bias on the investor side?
I personally haven’t experienced it, but I also haven’t looked for it. I’ve gotten many Nos, but I don’t think any of those came from being a female founder, they came from a mismatch between the fund’s vision and our core fundamentals. I think they would have said no to me if I had been a male founder as well, and I don’t want to think of myself as being penalized by my gender.
I may be naïve or wrong, but I don’t want to look at it from that perspective, I want to believe that I’m good and that I’m being judged independently from my gender, ethnicity, religion or nationality.
What role do you think investors can play in closing the funding gap for woman entrepreneurs?
I think both sides, investors and entrepreneurs, have to work together to understand each other’s worlds, viewpoints and expectations from the start.
From my perspective, the investment process is often not transparent enough. Many factors influence outcomes that have little to do with the quality of the founder or the business—such as whether investors are fundraising themselves, managing multiple deals at once, or dealing with internal priorities.
I think for entrepreneurs, especially women, every no carries a lot of weight. Personally, although I try not to care and to move on to the next opportunity, I do care a lot, and I think it would be a lot easier if the process was more transparent and if expectations were well set from the beginning. This would be helpful for entrepreneurs in general, but I think it would be especially important for women, who often have a lower risk tolerance and may need a little more clarity as to the next steps in an investment or due diligence process.
What advice would you give to aspiring female founders?
Dare to dream! We often feel like we are missing something, but we aren’t, and there is so much women-led innovation and female talent in Europe. Women are tackling some of the most difficult challenges in areas as important as healthcare and the environment, they are changing the way businesses work and the way we live.
I would also tell aspiring female founders to build themselves a strong support system. The entrepreneurship journey can be lonely and highly demanding . I thought I was working a difficult job in Wall Street, but this is on a different level, because you’re responsible for both sides of the balance sheet, for paying the bills and for paying the staff at the end of the month. You have to be good to yourself to deal with that stress. A coach once recommended a book to me, From Start-Up to Grown-Up, which I now recommend to everybody. The beginning is precisely about managing yourself before managing others, because being an entrepreneur is a self-consuming job. You could do it all the time, all day long, so you have to set boundaries, take care of yourself and have people help you along your journey.
What were the highlights of the Matchmaking on Sustainability & Climate Tech for you?
The jury panel. I thought it was amazing to have a fully female jury and that they were all very competent and brought great questions. The preparation session also helped, as it’s nice to have those conversations and have somebody help you shape your position. I also had a lot of people reach out to me with LinkedIn requests after the Matchmaking, so it definitely had a positive effect on visibility.
What first motivated you to apply for the event?
We’ve just closed our Seed round and are now starting our Series A. We’ve been working a lot on our strategy for it and one of our priorities is to generate awareness. You’ve got to get out into the market and make sure that people know your company. From experience, investors follow companies for a while before they make investment decisions, so you have to take any exposure opportunities that you get.
Aside from that, we also had a very positive experience with the European Union’s (EU) innovation ecosystem. We’ve met very qualified, competent and ambitious people through it, and it gave us a look at the broader innovation ecosystem beyond the field of circular economy, and dragged us into directions and opportunities that I hadn’t expected.
What would you say to entrepreneurs who may be considering applying for upcoming matchmaking events?
Just apply and go for it! My advice is always to go out into the market and pitch. You're going to get both positive and negative feedback, but you know what you are doing, and your goal is to go out there and to bring your ideas forward, to keep building allies and cohorts, because it’s the only way that you’re going to close funding rounds at the end.
My advice is to never sit at your desk and think that you can achieve things without going out there, talking to people and making sure that they know about you and about what you’re building.
About the EmpowHerMent Stories
WomenINvestEU is 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.
Details
- Publication date
- 30 April 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs