They result from the research project “The innovative behaviour of women-led young firms”, submitted by Mario Piacentini in August 2011 and approved by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in September 2011. Women-founded businesses are those which have been founded by one woman or by an exclusively female founding team. Enterprises founded or owned by mixed teams are excluded. The variables relating to founder/owner characteristics are calculated as averages for the individual members of the founding team.