Female entrepreneurs are subjected to stereotypes that make it difficult to secure funding. Crowdfunding challenges many of the causes of this discrimination but we know little about if and how it changes optimal funding strategies for female entrepreneurs. Using a sample of 3191 crowdfunding campaigns by female entrepreneurs, we draw from signaling theory to develop and test a series of counterintuitive conjectures for female crowdfunding success. Our results contradict advice that may be derived from traditional entrepreneurial finance: women in crowdfunding should use their gender as advertising, use more female-centric language, avoid self-promotion, start businesses in male-dominated sectors, and ask for more money. These findings highlight new theoretical mechanisms in crowdfunding and develop recommendations for female entrepreneurs who want to raise funds.

女企业家受制于刻板印象，难以获得资金。众筹挑战了造成这种歧视的许多原因，但我们对其是否以及如何改变女性企业家的最佳筹资策略知之甚少。我们使用女性企业家进行的3191次众筹活动的样本，从信号理论中汲取经验，为女性众筹成功开发并测试了一系列与直觉相反的猜想。我们的结果与传统创业融资可能产生的建议背道而驰：众筹中的女性应以性别为广告对象，使用更多以女性为中心的语言，避免自我推销，在男性主导的行业中开展业务，并要求更多的钱。