Women Investors. Asel Seitova on the launch of a new club in Central Asia

Assel Seitova, city — Palo Alto, founder of Sisters — Female Founders Initiative, LinkedIn

About the Women Investors Club

The idea for the club emerged from a simple observation: there are more and more women around startups, investments, and venture capital, but they still lack “their own” space — a safe, empowering, and simultaneously ambitious environment.

Today, many women want to invest, join boards of directors, and support startups, but they do not know where to start or where to find the right community. Now is the perfect moment for such a community to emerge, as women around the world are increasingly building capital, launching companies, and beginning to influence the investment market.

In fact, this is part of a larger global trend. In the US, Europe, and other regions, the number of female angels, investment funds, and clubs created specifically for women is growing rapidly. We saw how important it is to create a similar ecosystem for Central Asia — but with an international approach and global connections from the start.

It all began with our Sisters community — a community of female startup founders. It naturally led to the question: who will support these entrepreneurs with capital? International practice shows that female investors and communities that help women gain access to investments and new opportunities play a huge role here.

At the same time, there is still a significant gap in Central Asia: while there are women’s business communities, there are almost no investment clubs for women — especially ones with an educational program and a systematic entry into the venture ecosystem.

Therefore, we decided to build not just a community, but a full-fledged ecosystem. We have a five-week Investor School with 10 practical modules, including in Russian. The program is led by international experts and investors, mostly from Silicon Valley, who share real-world experience rather than just theory — from startup analysis and deal structuring to making investment decisions.

After completing the program, participants automatically become part of the Women Investors Club, with closed meetings, networking, and continuous community support.

And what is especially important to us — we are building this in a hybrid and international format. In Central Asia, people still value offline meetings and personal connections, but at the same time, the strongest modern investment communities have long existed globally and online.

When women from Silicon Valley, Central Asia, Europe, and other countries come together in one community, a unique exchange of experience, knowledge, deal flow, and opportunities arises. This is the international network we want to build.

The main need we identified is not just education, but access.

Access to deals, investors, high-quality networks, and opportunities. Often, women possess strong expertise and capital, but remain outside the venture ecosystem because historically it has been quite closed and built through personal connections.

Club Participants

We are building not just a networking community, but an ecosystem for women who want to create impact through capital, entrepreneurship, and investments.

This is a combination of education, access to the venture market, international connections, practical experience, and a strong community of like-minded women.

We just announced the launch of the club, and women of various backgrounds are already joining: entrepreneurs, top managers, private investors, women from the finance and technology sectors, as well as those who are just beginning to get interested in investing. But what unites them all is the desire to grow, create impact, and be part of a global community.

The most common barrier that often prevents women from starting to invest is the feeling that “I am not ready yet” or that investing is too complex and requires large capital.

Many are also afraid of making mistakes, losing money, or asking the “wrong question.” But in reality, the venture industry is a field where everyone is constantly learning. The most important thing is not to wait for the perfect moment, but to gradually enter this environment.

You can apply to join the club here.

About Her Silicon Valley Tour

Her Silicon Valley Tour is an international introductory tour into the world of startups and venture capital.

We want to give women the opportunity to step inside the ecosystem: to meet with funds, founders, and investors, to see how decisions are made, and to understand how the venture market works from the inside.

Online learning provides a strong foundation, but seeing the ecosystem with your own eyes and feeling how it works in reality is a completely different experience.

We want to show not just “success stories,” but provide an understanding of what is currently happening in the global technology and investment ecosystem: which trends are forming, how investors think, and what truly influences decisions at early stages.

But for us, the professional aspect is not the only thing that matters. We deeply believe that sustainable leadership is impossible without inner balance.

That is why, after the intensive educational program, we add a final stage — several days in Yosemite National Park. This is not just a vacation, but a space for reflecting on the experience, focusing inward, and recharging. We want to create not just an educational or investment experience, but a holistic experience of female leadership — where there is intellect, community, access to the ecosystem, and inner balance.

During the tour, participants will meet with representatives of venture funds, startup founders, investors, and Silicon Valley experts, attend educational sessions for female investors, hold business meetings, and enjoy closed dinners. Participants will also visit offices of technology companies, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley. A separate session with a Stanford University professor on the topic of female leadership is also planned.

For us, it is important that this is not just an educational tour, but a transformative experience and new international connections.

If you are interested in the tour or want to learn more about participation — write to us: womeninvestorsclub@gmail.com 

Advice for women who want to start investing

Do not wait for the perfect moment or complete self-confidence.

Start with small steps: study the market, communicate with founders and investors, attend pitch events, and invest time in your network and community.

In the venture industry, connections, curiosity, and a willingness to constantly learn are of great importance. And importantly — do not build this path alone.