Former lawyer Lourdes Ferrer already had two startups under her belt when she struck gold with Percentil, an e-store selling “like new” second-hand children’s clothes that went on to snag millions of euros in funding. It was also named “best innovative idea” at the RTVE Emprende Awards in 2015.
Ferrer is regarded as a role model by many female entrepreneurs in Spain, both aspiring and actual. And she remains hungry for more: Percentil, she has said, would not be her “last adventure” as an entrepreneur.
Spain ranks among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest proportion of women-owned businesses, at 29.4%. In Europe, it is second, only after Poland (30.3%). In reality, the numbers are even higher, as many Spanish women run their own “unofficial” enterprises, which they juggle with their full-time roles in the workplace and at home.
Research by Spain Startup 2017 reported an increase in women-led startups, with success rates of 70%, including ventures
