Women Entrepreneurs to Bet On

By Zoë Schlanger On 5/7/14 at 5:46 AM EDT

Women are pushing their way into the world of venture capital and building their own businesses.

5.9_WomenEntreprenuers_Ajaita Shah — Women Entrepreneurs to Bet On Ajaita Shah

Women are pushing their way into the world of venture capital and building their own businesses.

Darnisha Grant Harrison of Ennaid Therapeutics: As many as 400 million people are infected with the potentially deadly dengue virus each year. Right now, there are no vaccines, and the only means of prevention is to avoid exposure to mosquitoes. But what if dengue could be cured? Ennaid Therapeutics has exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize what Harrison is confident will be the first cure for dengue. Her company licensed a flavivirus inhibitor technology that she says has been shown to inhibit more than 99 percent of mosquito-borne viruses, including West Nile and dengue. Harrison has raised seed capital, and her five-person team is now raising $20 million more to complete testing and bring the potential cure to market. Dustin Chambers