Women are starting and growing businesses at pace, from consultancies and creative firms to tech startups. However, the money, networks and time still stack against them.
In Australia, all-women founding teams received just 2% of total capital in 2024, and in Q2 2025 dipped below 0.5%, according to Cut Through Venture data. That’s despite evidence that backing women founders is a smart bet for investors.
It’s this gap, between ambition and access, that OWN Con is designed to close.
The One Roof Women’s National Conference will run across Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this spring, bringing together practical capability-building with investor and partner access, and embedding it inside founder-led communities.
The series is produced by One Roof in partnership with Scalare Partners, Tech Ready Women (TRW) and Tank Stream Labs (TSL), with the first leg kicking off in Adelaide on September 18
The problem: entrenched barriers, missed upside
Capital still flows unevenly, where teams with at least one woman received 15% of investment in 2024 compared to all-women teams receiving 2% and that share slid further this year.
Globally, studies have long found women-founded startups generate more revenue per dollar invested and can exit faster than the broader market in several regions, pointing to a commercial opportunity as much as an equity imperative.
A timely national response
One Roof is an Australian community and platform that has been helping women start, grow and stay in business through membership, masterclasses, mentoring and city activations for over a decade.
OWN Con is a new national series, providing a single program that blends content on sales, pricing, digital and funding with curated introductions and peer circles, delivered where founders already work.
This conference series combines access to capital, capability and community so women can turn momentum into customers, partners and funding pathways. Expect candid conversations with leaders, expert circles and opportunities to connect with investors and customers.
An intelligent ecosystem approach
Scalare Partners has been assembling an ecosystem to support founders at scale. In April 2024 it acquired Tech Ready Women and in July 2025, purchased coworking franchise Tank Stream Labs, adding a capability engine and a national workspace footprint to its portfolio.
“Bringing Tech Ready Women and Tank Stream Labs together enables us to build an ecosystem well-equipped to supercharge Australia’s innovations,” Scalare CEO Carolyn Breeze explained.
“Partnering with One Roof further enhances our ability to channel that scale into real outcomes for women founders.”
Tech Ready Women delivers online programs that help women validate ideas, build products and raise capital with confidence. Now backed by Scalare, TRW is leaning into growth.
“We’re excited to guide more women to ride the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship and innovation with confidence through education, mentoring, and community, and now, through this new conference series,” says Crystal McGregor, TRW General Manager.
Tank Stream Labs will host the series in Sydney and Melbourne, and at its new Adelaide site, the venue for the series kick-off.
“As hosts in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as our new Adelaide site, we’re backing women founders at all stages with space, programming and connections,” says CEO, Bradley Delamare.
The on-campus setting matters, with Tank Stream Labs locations embedded in local communities, making it easier to connect attendees with investors, customers and operators on the ground.
Why OWN Con is needed
Australia’s startup rebound has not lifted all boats. The Q2 2025 slump for women-only teams underscores how pipeline gains at pre-seed stall as companies seek larger rounds.
OWN Con addresses this by combining practical content with warm introductions and place-based networks, rather than one-off inspiration.
The event is highly inclusive of women at all stages of the founder journey, including women-led SMEs and high-growth startups, recognising that growth levers such as price, brand, sales systems, talent, capital are shared across sectors.
OWN Con is built for women-led founders of startups and SMEs at any stage, from pre-launch to scale, as well as operators and allies who want to move the needle.
- Frances Goh is the cofounder of One Roof, a purpose-built community designed to support women entrepreneurs and business owners
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