Female Entrepreneurs: gender diversity across the UK’s high-growth ecosystem
We’ve highlighted key trends amongst, and disparities between, all-female, mixed-gender and all-male founding teams; from the funding they’ve received to the key support systems they’ve leveraged.
Produced in partnership with Newable.
all-female founding teams
mixed-gender founding teams
all-male founding teams
What’s inside?
Companies
25% of the UK’s high-growth companies have a female founder, but which regions have a particularly high proportion and which may need more support?
Equity investment
The proportion of equity deals secured by teams with a female founder has increased from 14% in 2011 to a high of 22% in 2017. This figure has plateaued since.
Grant funding
Since 2012 the share of large innovation grants awarded to female founders has quadrupled to 16% – still a very low proportion.
accelerators
Fully-female-founded companies are most likely to have grown through an accelerators, more commonly opting for structure programmes instead of funding transactions.
About the authors
hannah skingle
Hannah leads on Beauhurst's data-driven publications and content creation, and is an expert on emerging trends in the UK's high-growth space. Hannah studied Liberal Arts with a major in English Literature at King's College London.
Ava scott
Ava is an expert data cruncher and business analyst in the Research & Consultancy team. She provides research and insights for multiple clients, including the Royal Academy of Engineering, Syndicate Room and Penningtons Manches. She holds a BA in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Ella halmari
Ella is a visual design and data analysis specialist. She is an expert in data visualisation and content creation, playing a lead role in analysis and production of Beauhurst’s data-driven publications and brand communications. Ella holds a post-graduate diploma in Visual Communication from UAL and law degree from King's College London..
Where does the data come from?
All data featured comes from the Beauhurst platform, a searchable database of the UK’s fastest-growing startups and scaleups.
