The Execution Gap.
Less than 3% of global VC funding goes to female founders.
The gap is not inspiration, it is execution.
- Capital raising is complex, time-intensive and high stakes
- Global expansion is riddled with structuring, GTM and execution landmines that can drain capital and erode investor trust.
- Boards, acquisitions, and IPOs demand institutional-grade governance and rigour.
- Accessing the right talent and technology at the right moment is harder than it should be.
These are the inflection points where great companies stall.
This is the Execution Gap.
Foundher X closes the distance between ambition and a global exit.
Exclusively for ambitious builders.
Founders:
Our Members are female founders raising significant capital and scaling globally. They are ambitious women with a global mindset, outgrowing local networks and seeking frameworks to expand into markets like the US and Europe with confidence.
Sophie, the Pre-Seed Pioneer ($2M seed):
"I know my product is a game-changer. How do I structure the right funding round and master the investor narrative?”
Kristen, the Series A Scaler ($15M raise):
"We have traction locally. How do we enter the US with speed and precision - without burning capital or trust?"
Lisa, Series B Upleveller ($30M+ Series B):
"Our investors and acquirers expect us to operate like a global enterprise. How do we transition our team, governance, and systems to the next level?”
Annabelle, the Pre-Exit Architect ($100M+ exit horizon)
"We’re scaling fast. How do we position for the right exit, on the right terms, with the right buyers?”
Not another networking group.
We go beyond surface-level connection to deliver results that matter:
Tactical playbooks distilled from hard-won lessons
Investor-ready frameworks that withstand diligence and amplify valuations
Curated introductions to capital, talent, partners and customers that drive outcomes
Foundher X = Apex Execution.
Meet the Founder.
Carly Martin — Founder & CEO
- Legal foundations: Spent more than a decade in top-tier Australian and Magic Circle firms, advising on cross-border M&A, venture capital, private equity and IPOs. Trusted by boards and founders on multi-billion-dollar transactions, she built her reputation on rigour, strategic clarity and deal execution.
- Amazon: Moved to Seattle HQ to pioneer Amazon’s international expansion strategy, spearheading launches and integrations across APAC, the Middle East, Europe and the US. She later took on various executive roles for Audible and Wondery, shaping the global growth of Amazon’s entertainment businesses, giving her a front-row seat to how the world’s most ambitious companies execute at speed and scale.
- Now: Founder & CEO of Foundher X, and principal of Venture Bench and Venture GC, Carly works with high-growth startups, scaleups and investors as a fractional GC, CXO, strategic advisor and board director. She equips founders to raise smarter, scale globally with confidence, and maximise exit outcomes.
Carly is a rare cross-functional operator. She brings the breadth to cut across silos and the discipline to execute at board level. Beyond the boardroom, she is a mum to Annabelle and Austin, wife to David, and a passionate advocate for women founders determined to raise ambitiously, scale globally, and build enduring companies on their own terms.