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Tech Women Triumph: 7 Richest Revealed, New Generation Empowered, Apple Evolves

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August has seen some fantastic news of women making big waves in technology. A new generation of tech girls is already developing apps in middle school, and young adults are transforming the healthcare tech space .

Meanwhile, seven women who have amassed a huge personal fortune in tech are listed.

It's time for our monthly roundup of the biggest news and features.

The Seven Richest Women In Tech

Chinese tech entrepreneur Zhou Qunfei has topped the list of the world's richest women in technology. Qunfei, who lives in Hong Kong and founded Lens Technology - a maker of high end glass for laptops and cellphones - has a personal fortune of $7.5 billion.

Zhou Qunfei leads the list of the richest women in tech (Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Next on the list, compiled by Forbes writer Katia Savchuk, is Bet 365 founder Denise Coates, who has a personal fortune of $2.9 billion. Meg Whitman, chief executive of HP and former CEO of eBay, has a $2.2 billion fortune.

Apple Evolves, But There's A Long Road Ahead

Apple hired 65% more women last year than in 2013. However, a deeper look shows that there is a long way to go. Women only represent 31% of total employees at the company, and less than a fifth of technology roles. The figures are similar to some of the other large technology firms: women represent 33% staff at HP, 24% at Intel and 28% at Microsoft.

Experts told me however that the picture is promising, and Apple is on a long road of change. Tech firms, they said, will need to make adjustments to their hiring policies, as well as how they enable women to re-enter the workforce, in order to effect real change.

Meanwhile Intel said it would pay double its usual referral bonuses for people who successfully recommend women to join the company. Some $4,000 will be paid for each referral as part of the initiative, which also includes bonuses for referrals of minorities and veterans.

TechGirlz Shape Future Of Apps

This year's TechGirlz summer camp, for which applications were up 50%, saw girls aged 11 to 15 showing they are ready to take charge in the tech sphere, developing fantastic new apps.

The event is the only tech focused, entrepreneurial camp in the country aimed at middle school girls, purely focused on helping them develop ideas, create a prototype and formulate a business plan.

New apps developed by the girls included 'Sportique', which records athletic motion and recommends better technique, 'Hazard Protector', an alert based app for emergencies, and 'Rapid Rescue', which helps reunite lost pets with their owners. There was also a strong focus on the Internet of Things.

TechGirlz, a non-profit organization, is directly aimed at helping keep girls studying technology into high school, and hopefully pursuing a technology career or creating a startup.

Tracey Welson-Rossman, founder of the organization, tells me that "it's not about winning a competition or building something you throw away. We continue to see these girls attend camp with a drive and passion to learn and absorb as much information as they can."

Meanwhile, at the start of the month, the first ever White House Demo Day took place, showcasing women and minority founders in technology.

Women Have Been Designing Tech For Centuries

In spite of the fantastic growth of young women entering the tech sphere, it's not a new phenomenon.

The resurfacing of a 1967 Cosmopolitan article shows large numbers of women designing and running technology five decades ago. The article, as featured in Silicon Republic, references great work including that of IBM engineer Ann Richardson and Cobol creator Dr Grace Murray Hopper.

Of course, the history actually goes back centuries, well before the growing numbers of female tech experts noted by Cosmo. As the SR article notes, Ada Lovelace designed the world's first computer program in the early 1800s.

A powerful history precedes the many women making fantastic changes in tech today .

10 Healthcare Tech Disruptors Led By Women

There is an excellent article by Forbes contributor Kate Harrison on the 10 healthcare tech disruptors to watch, all of which are led by women.

Women are flourishing in the healthcare technology field, she notes, evidenced by the number of successful firms founded and led by them.

The top 10 firms she cites include Wellthie, which allows people to explore health insurance, Naya Health, the creator of the first smart breast pump for mothers, and Caremerge, a mobile friendly platform that allows family members to communicate with doctors of their elderly relatives.

For more news, see my blog at leoking.co.uk, or follow me on Facebook and Twitter . Also check out the Women in Tech Facebook group.