TheGenderIndex

The Gender Index 2025 Report is LIVE Head to our website to download the full report. thegenderindex.co.uk/reports #TheGenderIndex2025 #TGI25

What does a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem look like? Not just more start-ups or funding rounds. It means diverse founders, equal access to capital, and real pathways to scale. Without measurement, progress is guesswork. #FemaleFounders #InclusiveGrowth

The most overlooked stage of the founder journey We talk about starting businesses. We talk about raising capital. But the stage in between gets less attention: scaling. Women are growing companies, yet remain underrepresented in fast-growth firms. The gap is in scaling.

Female-led companies outperformed male-led firms on turnover growth in 2024. Yet they remain underrepresented among fast-growth and venture-backed businesses. If the performance is there but the capital isn’t, investors should ask: What opportunities are we missing?

The UK has 5.2m active companies, only around 1 in 5 are female-led. That’s not just a diversity gap, it’s an economic one. Female founders are already driving jobs and growth. Closing the entrepreneurship gender gap could unlock hundreds of billions in value for the UK economy

This Sunday marks International Women’s Day – and the data shows why it matters. In 2024, just 19.1% of UK companies were female-led, yet they delivered 24.6% turnover growth, outpacing male-led firms (21.6%). The issue is not performance. It is access to capital and scale.

International Women’s Day is this Sunday. What happens if we do nothing?Our 2025 predictive model shows female-led companies rising from 19.1% to just 21.7% by 2030 – growth of only 0.2–0.3% per year. Progress is happening, but it is slow.Explore the data: thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

Women are more sceptical of AI at work–not fear, but economic risk. AI could threaten job security, widen pay gaps and narrow routes to leadership.With women underrepresented in high-growth tech, AI’s impact is unequal. The issue isn’t AI–it’s who benefits.forbes.com/sites/lizeltin…

Ownership is the next frontier. Women drive nearly 80% of household purchasing decisions, yet receive 2% of VC funding.Our data shows the same imbalance in fast-growth firms & capital access. Representation matters.Ownership builds long-term economic power.globalbankingandfinance.com/beyond-the-gla…

Burnout among women isn’t about resilience, it’s about systems that demand more to prove the same. Growth shouldn’t require exhaustion. We need capital, not cortisol. #WomenInBusiness #Burnout #TheGenderIndex

Male founders stumble and are called seasoned. Women stumble and doors close. Yet in 2024, female-led companies outpaced men in turnover growth. The issue isn't ability, it’s bias. #Entrepreneurship #GenderBias #TheGenderIndex

By 2030: Public safety: 45.8% female-led Social care: 42% But… Construction: 6.3% Energy: 4.7% Women lead where impact matters, but barriers persist in sectors with capital. #InclusiveEconomy #TheGenderIndex

Women remain underrepresented in capital-heavy sectors like tech and energy. That’s not just a gap, it’s a risk. If women aren't leading, their perspectives are absent from the future. #WomenInTech #GenderGap #TheGenderIndex

Female-led firms are rising in Wales & NI, falling in parts of England. Local policy from childcare to workspace shapes this. But most councils don’t track gendered impact. Visibility drives change. #FemaleFounders #InclusiveGrowth #TheGenderIndex

Women built distribution empires: Singer, Avon, Tupperware. But weren’t named as leaders. Today, only 19.1% of UK firms are female-led. We’ve always led. We just weren’t counted. #TheGenderIndex #WomenInBusiness

Women founders are more likely to raise from friends & family than Angel investors. Without access to capital or repeat backers, scaling becomes a closed door. We need networks, visibility, and funds built for inclusion. #FemaleFounders #InvestInWomen

Female-led firms grew by 30% in Wales & NI but fell by 6.3% in England. Support structures matter. Where ecosystems back women, business grows.The Gender Index reveals where progress is working and where it’s not. thegenderindex.co.uk #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship

Female-led companies saw 24.6% turnover growth in 2024, outpacing male-led firms. Yet just 10.6% of fast-growth businesses are female-led. The issue isn’t ambition, it’s access. Growth must be funded, backed and enabled. #FemaleFounders #InclusiveGrowth

Entrepreneurship isn’t gender neutral. It was built around a narrow profile, and still rewards sameness. Gaps in funding aren’t about potential. They reflect a system not built for inclusion. The Gender Index makes the gap visible so it can’t be ignored. thegenderindex.co.uk

Funding isn’t just about numbers. It’s the emotional toll of being underestimated, asked about family plans, not growth plans. The Gender Index tracks the data, but we also recognise the lived reality. To shift outcomes, we must shift environments. #FemaleFounders

What do women entrepreneurs really need? Not just advice. Try: – Fair access to capital – Investor introductions – Procurement opportunities – Visibility where decisions are made Mentorship has its place. But opportunity drives change. #FemaleFounders #InclusiveEconomy