Jenny Liu, Masterstudentin der Bauinformatik an der TU Darmstadt und Teilnehmerin des Female Founder Programms 2025.
An aspiring founder is shaping the digital future of the construction industry
The construction site of the future needs digital tools – and people who build them. A woman like Jenny Liu, for example, a master’s student in Construction Informatics at TU Darmstadt. She wants to develop a digital tool that makes construction processes smarter and saves resources. Her goal: greater sustainability in an industry that has long worked in an analog way.
Jenni is one of 24 participants in the new ‘Female Founder’ program, jointly launched in 2025 by TU Darmstadt, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. Eight of them were supported through HIGHEST. The program offered workshops, mentoring, and a network that provided guidance—especially for women who wanted to explore whether entrepreneurship could be a path for them.
The idea for her start-up emerged directly from her studies: in her specialization, Jenny learned just how great the potential of digital methods in the construction industry is. As a career changer in software development, she quickly realized that she doesn’t just have to be a user of such tools—but can develop them herself.
What drives her? The desire to create something new that has real impact. And the prospect of initiating genuine change with an idea beyond the familiar. Her advice to you: dare to think big. ‘Women are far too rarely told how much potential they have.’
What does she take away from EXIST Women? A network that empowers. Exchange that supports. And an empowerment that keeps doubts small.
The EXIST Women support program ‘Female Founder’ 2025 shows: when digital expertise meets courage, progress emerges—even on the construction site.
The EXIST Women program will be announced again in 2026. Stay tuned!