Southeast Asia ⇄ Europe · Women in startups & VC

The bridge connecting ambitious women to startup and VC, across Southeast Asia and Europe.

We connect aspiring founders, investors, and startup operators across Southeast Asia and Europe to the startup and VC world, through warm introductions, hands-on programs, and a curated feed of opportunities.

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400+ women in the pipeline Jakarta · Manila · Rotterdam & beyond
Founder featured in IDN Times SEA Today TED The Diana Award
Supported by Maudy Ayunda Foundation
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01 — The founder

Ayesha Felice

Founder, The Deal Girls
7+ yearsIn social entrepreneurship.
Diana AwardRecipient — the UK's highest youth humanitarian honor.
TEDxSpeaker.
VCPrevious working experience in venture capital.
RSMGuest lecturer at Rotterdam School of Management.

In August 2019, Ayesha founded Gores Denai Foundation, an impact-oriented organization in Indonesia that helped 1,000+ Indonesian public school students access international opportunities, from MUN competitions to Ivy League prep.

The Deal Girls is her second act: not fixing access for students, but opening the rooms that women building companies and careers deserve to be in.

02 — In her words

It all started in 2019.

Watch the full story on Instagram →

At 15, I started my first nonprofit because I kept noticing the same thing: talented public school students in Indonesia just never had a reason to believe the world outside was reachable.

That's where I first learned talent was never the rare thing. Access was.

Years later, I stepped into my first VC internship: scouting women founders, sitting 1:1 with them, listening to how they thought. Bold, occasionally unhinged in the best way, endlessly ambitious. And I was hooked.

But I also noticed how exclusive this world can be. The right school. The right circle. These things moved faster than talent did.

I guess my thing was never really VC or nonprofits specifically. It's always been about giving people from underrepresented backgrounds a way into rooms that only make space for the same schools, same circles.

That's what I'm building. That's what The Deal Girls is.

03 — What TDG does

A pipeline. Not just a platform.

The Deal Girls is the bridge between Southeast Asia and Europe's startup ecosystems.

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01 · MatchmakingSignature

TDG Intro

TDG Intro is our signature matchmaking program. Apply to be matched with a mentor a few steps ahead, from VC firms, banks, and startup ecosystems on both sides of the bridge.

Apply to TDG Intro →
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02 · Events

Small rooms

Curated gatherings in Europe and across SEA. Small rooms, fun conversations, genuine introductions.

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03 · Newsletter

Bi-weekly signal

Bi-weekly and curated: grants, funding, programs, and jobs for women in startups and VC, across SEA and Europe.

  • GrantsSEA · EU
  • Funding & programsSEA · EU
  • Jobs in startups & VCSEA · EU
Get the newsletter →
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400+Women in the pipeline
Jakarta · Manila
Kuala Lumpur
Rotterdam

04 — The SEA ⇄ Europe bridge

The bridge, not the gap-filler.

SEA talent reaches Europe's startup ecosystem. Europe meets SEA-rooted women ready to build, back and lead.

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Europe

Rotterdam

Home base

Where TDG is based, and where SEA talent meets Europe's startup ecosystem. Our Netherlands events run from here, most recently in Amsterdam.

05 — Traction

The community is growing.

Supported by Maudy Ayunda Foundation
400+Women in the pipeline
65%Newsletter open rate
2,500Followers across platforms
5Programs & events run
1Grant secured

06 — Get matched with mentors from

ABN AMRO ASML Google Imperial College London Cambridge University & more

08 — For partners & sponsors

Reach women founders while they're building.

I'd like to…
Partner with us →

09 — Questions

Good questions.

Who is TDG for?

Ambitious women in or entering the startup and VC world — whether you're building a company, working at a startup, exploring investing, or still figuring out where you fit. If you're serious about the space and not finding the right rooms, this is for you.

Is it free to join?

Yes, TDG membership is completely free. We're focused on building real proof before we charge anything.

What exactly is TDG Intro?

Our flagship mentorship matchmaking program. You apply, tell us where you are and where you want to go, and we match you with a mentor a few steps ahead, from VC firms, banks, and startup ecosystems across SEA and Europe. Less like a course, more like being introduced to the right person at the right time.

Do I need to be based in SEA or Europe?

Not at all! The Deal Girls is open to women wherever they are. For now our regional focus is SEA ⇄ Europe. We have women in Jakarta, Manila, Rotterdam, and beyond.

What do I get when I join?

Three things: a curated match through TDG Intro, in-person events across the Netherlands and Southeast Asia, and a bi-weekly newsletter with curated opportunities — grants, funding, jobs, and programs for women in startups and VC. No noise, no generic content. Just the people and opportunities worth your time.

Become a Deal Girl.

Whether you're a founder, an investor, or just figuring out where you fit in the startup world, there's a place for you here.

Apply now → Free · Open to women anywhere