Fixing the gender gap in start-up businesses
New initiatives aim to remove barriers for female entrepreneurs. David Prosser reports.


International Women’s Day prompted a slew of announcements from campaign groups supporting female entrepreneurs and small-business owners. But while more women than ever before are launching businesses in the UK, the government’s research continues to point to a huge gender gap.
The 2022 Rose Review found that 140,000 companies were established by all-women teams last year, the first time that numbers have outstripped male-led companies. The number of women launching new businesses is growing by a third each year, with young female entrepreneurs increasing in number particularly rapidly.
However, the Rose Review – first launched in 2019, when ministers asked NatWest chief executive Alison Rose to review female entrepreneurship – also notes that women’s small-business ambitions were more likely to have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic than those of men. Female entrepreneurs spent twice as much time discharging caring responsibilities during the crisis, and received only a fraction of the funding from equity investors that their male peers were able to access.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Ministers hope new initiatives from the Rose Review will support female entrepreneurs further. They include a new campaign to be led by the Women Angel Investment Taskforce, which will encourage more women to become business angels and then to support female business founders. There are also plans to expand networking and mentoring schemes.
On financing, ministers have announced a campaign to persuade more financial institutions to sign up to the Investing in Women Code. This requires firms to publish data on the diversity of their small-business funding, and to appoint a senior leader with responsibility for supporting equality. Some 134 firms with capital of almost £1trn have signed so far.
The funding gap
Such funding will be critical to helping more women fulfil their ambitions, with a lack of finance often frustrating female founders. Research published this week by Small Business Britain, a lobby group, suggests as many as 17% of women are keen to start a business following the pandemic, up from 15% a year ago. However, finance for these women remains in short supply – research suggests that women in the UK start out, on average, with 53% less capital when starting new businesses. Male entrepreneurs are 86% more likely to be funded by venture capital.
The problem is not confined to the UK. Across Europe as a whole, female founders have secured just 1.3% of all venture capital funding available since 2017, with many complaining about the unconscious bias of all-male investment teams.
The more positive news is that there are growing resources to turn to for women looking for advice and support as they try to get new ventures off the ground. Startups (startups.co.uk) lists more than 20 groups with bespoke services for women. These range from accelerators and investment houses such as the AllBright Collective and Female Founders Accelerator, to networks such as the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs and the Female Founders Network.Many of these groups also provide support for female business owners once their ventures are up and running.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
David Prosser is a regular MoneyWeek columnist, writing on small business and entrepreneurship, as well as pensions and other forms of tax-efficient savings and investments. David has been a financial journalist for almost 30 years, specialising initially in personal finance, and then in broader business coverage. He has worked for national newspaper groups including The Financial Times, The Guardian and Observer, Express Newspapers and, most recently, The Independent, where he served for more than three years as business editor.
-
Why adversity creates opportunity
Discovering the best dividend-paying stocks means digging deep, biding your time and choosing your moment to buy, says Ross Mathison, deputy manager of The Scottish American Investment Company
By MoneyWeek Published
-
Are regular savings accounts worth it?
A 7% interest rate is eye-catching, but how much can you save in a regular saver account and how does the interest rate work exactly?
By Ruth Emery Published
-
England's department stores return – but do they have a future?
Opinion The great traditional retail shops of Middle England have bounced back for now. Don’t get too carried away though, says Matthew Lynn
By Matthew Lynn Published
-
Can investors stay optimistic about Russian stocks?
Investors look to profit from Russia as Trump pushes for peace in Ukraine. But is it worth the risk?
By Alex Rankine Published
-
Labour's 'Project Chainsaw' begins by abolishing NHS England – will it backfire?
Keir Starmer is taking the fight to the blockers, the NIMBYs, public sector workers and the unions says Emily Hohler. What happens if Labour fails to deliver?
By Emily Hohler Published
-
The benefits of a stock bubble
Opinion We tend to think of stock bubbles as bad things but, as the dotcom craze shows, good things can come from them, says Matthew Lynn
By Matthew Lynn Published
-
Friedrich Merz proposes 'radical' spending package for Germany
Germany's chancellor designate Friedrich Merz wants to scrap restraints on borrowing and allow for much higher defence spending
By Emily Hohler Published
-
Walgreens Boots Alliance sold to private equity firm - will Boots get the boot?
US pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance is going private. Will the new owners sell off the high-street chemist?
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Return to the office: is working from home coming to an end?
More and more employers want their staff to return to the office. Is it a good idea?
By David Prosser Published
-
Europe prepares to stand alone as Trump turns on Ukraine
Support for old military alliances is wavering in the US under Donald Trump. Europe’s leaders are rushing to fill the void. Simon Wilson reports
By Simon Wilson Published