Startalers, which launched in 2018 to help women make sustainable investments, will this autumn launch its Capitana app, a guided investment platform for users to invest in a range of products and have a positive social and environmental impact.

According to a press release from the startup, Capitana allows users to create a personalised investment portfolio based on their values and conviction.

“While the platform was specifically designed to address the obstacles faced by women, it may be used by all investors who identify with its values and investment policy,” the press release stated.

Startalers, which won the Whoopi Golderg Female Empowerment Award at the 2018 Arch Summit, aims to make finance more inclusive, with a focus on supporting women to make sustainable investments. According to Startalers, only 10% of women in Europe invest their savings, half as many as men, often because they lack confidence in their knowledge of finance and investments.

Co-founders Gaëlle Haag and Thierry Smets wrote: “We believe that we can reduce the gender inequalities associated with boosting savings. The first step is to improve the financial literacy of investors, whether male or female, to give them everything they need to understand investments. This enables them to set specific goals for their financial future themselves.”

In 2018, Startalers raised €520,000 through the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. This second round of funds was raised through the Seeder Fund, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and business angels in Belgium and Luxembourg, including from Leansquare, which acquired a stake in the startup.

StarTalers was created in 2018 with the goal of making finance more inclusive, and in particular help women to make a positive environmental or social impact through their investments.