女孩只是想有资金

Authors Bella RhodesTalent Policy LeadStartup Coalition Vinous AliDeputy Executive DirectorStartup Coalition Jordan SullivanHead of Economic PolicyStartup Coalition AboutStartup Coalition Startup Coalition, formerly Coadec, is the policy voice of UK tech startups and scaleups. Since 2010, wehave worked to engage on behalf of tech startups in public policy debates in the UK across a range ofcritical priority issues including access to finance, immigration and skills, and technology regulation. We fight for a policy environment that enables early-stage British tech companies to grow, scale andcompete globally. We have over 4,000 startups and investors in our network and have been instrumentalin building proactive coalitions of businesses and investors on issues integral to the health of the UK’sstartup ecosystem. We represent the startup community on the Government’s Digital Economy Council,and the UK on the board of the international organisation Allied for Startups. Acknowledgements OurFunding the Underfundedcampaign builds on the extensive efforts and insights of many individualsand organisations across the ecosystem. We recognise that the challenges faced by underrepresentedgroups in securing funding are deeply rooted and multifaceted. Addressing them requires acknowledgingand learning from the lived experiences and perspectives of those directly impacted. We are especially grateful to the founders, investors, and other stakeholders who contributed to thisreport. Ensuring that we reflect the diversity of experiences in starting and scaling innovative companiesacross the UK has been central to this work. We are committed to listening, amplifying their voices, andadvocating for meaningful change. Special thanks to all those who shared their expertise and insightsdirectly for this report but also to all those whose work we have drawn from. Throughoutthis report,we’ve included direct quotes from founders who generously shared theirexperiences navigating the UK startup and investment landscape. These quotes have been anonymised.This was a conscious decision: several founders told us that being publicly critical of investors or thefundingprocess could jeopardise their professional relationships,future fundraising efforts, or the reputation of their businesses. Their insights are no less powerful for being anonymous and we aregrateful for their honesty. This is the second report in ourFunding the Underfundedseries. Other reports and more information canbe found on our website. Tableof Contents Girls Just Wanna Have Funding: Addressing the Barriers to Finance for Female Founders............0Authors.......................................................................................................................................................1About Startup Coalition..........................................................................................................................1Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................... 1Table of Contents...................................................................................................................................... 3Introduction................................................................................................................................................4Summary of Recommendations...............................................................................................................6The Data..................................................................................................................................................... 7Barriers Across the Funding Journey................................................................................................... 11Female-Focused Programmes............................................................................................................ 11Investor Bias........................................................................................................................................ 12Angel Investment.................................................................................................................................18Grants.................................................................................................................................................. 20Childcare............................................................................................................................................. 21 Introduction In March 2025, PWC'sWomen in Work Indexrevealed a troubling reality: the UK had fallen to 18th placeout of 33 OECD countries on making progress towards gender equality—its lowest ranking in over adecade. Despite marginal improvements in the gender pay gap, workforce participation has actuallyworsened, leaving the UK lagging behind its peers.1And if this paints a concerning picture for women inthe g