Invest in Women Taskforce

?? Big news dropping on Monday 25th November...??? ?Since launching the Invest in Women Taskforce, we’ve been unwavering in our mission: to make the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur. ? Currently, just 11% of senior investment committee members are women. And?just?1.8% of equity capital goes to?fully female-founded?businesses.?We’re here to change that. ? From March to now, we’ve been laying the groundwork for transformation – and we’re just getting started. ? Stay tuned for our big announcement on Monday 25th?November – you don’t want to miss it! ?? Hannah Bernard OBE, Debbie Wosskow, OBE, Grace Beverley, Ayaan Mohamed Ali, Louis Taylor, Alex Seddon and Department for Business and Trade

Did you know that men are twice as likely to get through to Investment Committee stage than women? Earlier this year, the?Investing in Women Code?released its fourth report and this report statistic is exactly why we are here. We’re proud to partner with them to drive changes that female entrepreneurs deserve, working towards making the UK the best place in the world for female entrepreneurship. It underscores the importance of diversity in investment decision-making – in order for us to truly support growth within diverse businesses, we need diverse decision makers. ???If you have 2 minutes today, we recommend reviewing these key stats. For a deeper dive, read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gVP7J34v

????????????????????????? ???? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ????????????!??? ?Our Co-Chair Hannah Bernard OBE was proud this week to join the 10th anniversary event for the original 2014 ScaleUp Report, marking a decade of impactful work in supporting UK scaleups. On the back of the 2014 Scaleup Report the ScaleUp Institute was born and has driven initiatives to tackle barriers to growth, focusing on policy recommendations, building strong ecosystems, and fostering collaboration to empower scaling businesses across all sectors. ? Here’s where we stand today??? : ? ????,?????? ?????????????????in the UK, generating a remarkable ￡???????????in total turnover – up from 27% from 2013. ? ?????? ????????????-?????????????? ???????????????companies ? ???? ????????????-?????????????? “??????????-??????????????”?reaching ￡50m+ turnover. ? ???? ?????????????????co-founded by women, breaking boundaries in innovation and growth. ? As we reflect on this progress, the Taskforce is committed to ensuring more female founders have the capital, market access, networks, and support they need to scale. The future of UK entrepreneurship is diverse, bold, and unstoppable! ? ScaleUp Institute Irene Graham OBE ? #ScaleUpReport #InvestInWomen #FemaleFounders #UKEntrepreneurship

?? Introducing the official members of the Invest in Women Taskforce??? As we continue our mission to empower female entrepreneurs and drive systemic change in the UK investor landscape, we want to take a moment to recognise and celebrate the incredible members of the Invest in Women Taskforce & Ecosystem Working group. ? These committed leaders bring diverse expertise and perspectives across the industry, playing a crucial role in our initiatives to break down barriers and enhance investment opportunities for female-powered businesses in the UK. ? Together, we’re focused on: ? ? Creating one of the largest funding pots in the world for women businesses ? Mobilising more women into the angel investment community ? Increasing the access to funding available for female entrepreneurs ? Enabling more women to start businesses, improving conditions for them to scale and driving policy recommendations to drive systemic change. ? Thank you to our board members for your ongoing commitment and passion. We are excited about the collective impact we can achieve to make the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur??? ?? ? A big thank you to those who have supported along the way Lizzy Duncan, Francis Evans, Charlotte Thomason, Caroline English, Natasha Jamal, Ladi Greenstreet, Axe Ali, Philip Salter, Jill Pay, Irene Graham OBE, Jo Overton, Sam Cooper-Gray, Julie Baker, Jennifer Tankard, Juliet Gouldman, Natalie Gasson-McKinley MBE MBA, Aastha Gurbax, Alliott Cole, Alex Seddon, Maria Johannessen, Stephen Welton CBE, Jenny Tooth OBE, Hannah Bernard OBE, Debbie Wosskow, OBE and Minister Gareth Thomas. ? #InvestinWomen #FemaleEntrepreneurs #WomeninBusiness

Yesterday, our co-chair Hannah Bernard OBE hosted our first Invest In Women Parliamentary Breakfast at the House of Lords.????? The event brought together female entrepreneurs and MPs for an open and honest conversation about the realities for women in business in the UK. We covered: ?????????????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????????faced by?female investors and entrepreneurs, with insights into shared and individual challenges???♀? ? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????????????- the specific difficulties women face and suggestions on how to overcome these??? ?????????????????? ?? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????????????? ?????????????????? ??????????????????,?by changing the current narrative and challenging perceptions??? ???????????????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????????????????????to support this agenda in the House and their constituencies??? This event marked an important step in sparking the necessary conversations and driving meaningful change as we strive to make the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur.?

We know the consequences of female entrepreneurs missing out on funding are significant. But how significant? We surveyed founders and investors on what they think the consequences are if we do not support female entrepreneurs better. Here’s what you need to know ???? ? Over a quarter (28%) of British female entrepreneurs could be forced to seek funding from overseas if the barriers and challenges they face to accessing finance in the UK persist. ??One fifth (20%) of respondents fear that without adequate funding, their businesses may struggle to perform or could face complete closure while a third (35%) would sell the business earlier than planned. ? 17% would consider funding the business themselves if possible. ??Investors and founders agree that securing pre-seed funding is the biggest barrier (51%), nearly a third (30%) said this was followed by the seed stage and a further 15% said Series A was the toughest stage. These stats show the scale of the challenges that female-powered businesses face compared to male counterparts. Our findings reveal an urgent need for targeted support to ensure female talent businesses can thrive and prevent the UK missing out ??

Fantastic to see Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, reiterate the Government’s support for the Taskforce in yesterday’s Budget! This comes after her initial endorsement of the work we are doing to make the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur. ?

Ever wondered what makes Hannah Bernard OBE tick? ?? City AM’s article gives you an inside look at our incredible co-chair—and trust us, it’s worth the read! ?? Here are a few fun facts you’ll learn about Hannah: →?Favourite film:????????? →?Cocktail order: Mojito →?Coffee order: Oat milk latte →?Favourite artist/musician: George Michael →?Favourite book:????????????????? ?????????by Jeanine Cummins →?Favourite place: By the river on a sunny early evening From her?proudest moments?(like watching her daughters stand up for what they believe in!) to that time post-conference socialising almost derailed a business trip, this profile has it all! Check out the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ek-6T3Rg

“Five years from now, the goal is that we won’t need a Taskforce anymore.” This powerful message from our co-chair, Hannah Bernard OBE, in a recent podcast with Barclays perfectly captures our mission. But right now, we’ve got work to do. Despite progress, female founders still receive just 1.8% of equity investment in the UK as of 2024. That’s why we’re stepping up with some major announcements soon, detailing how we’re tackling this disparity head-on. Plus, there’s a wealth of new research, insights, and content coming your way. ?? Stay tuned—there’s a lot on the horizon! ?? P.S. ?? Here’s a sneak peek of something we’ve been working on…

?? Did you know that only 14% of the UK’s angel investors are female? This needs to change. If you’re thinking about becoming an investor, there are some great incentives out there, like the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), which offers tax reliefs for individual investors. Curious about how you can get involved in supporting female-powered businesses? Don’t miss the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA)'s “Ready Steady Grow” events this November, happening across the UK! These sessions bring together small businesses, investors, IFAs, entrepreneurs, and advisors to make valuable connections. Who should attend? - Entrepreneurs looking to launch or scale their business. - Wealth managers eager to deepen their knowledge of EIS and small company investing. - Investors searching for their next big opportunity. - Professional advisors who want to support SMEs in reaching new heights. Take the first step in your investment journey and connect with other ambitious women and allies. ?? Learn more and sign up here: https://lnkd.in/ddV4Qh-F