Enabler.net

What does a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem actually look like? Not just more start-ups. Not just more funding rounds. A healthy ecosystem also means: • diverse founders entering the market • equal access to capital • pathways from start-up to scale-up • representation across sectors and regions The Gender Index measures these dynamics across more than 5 million UK companies. Because without measurement, it’s impossible to know whether progress is real or simply perceived. Data does not create change on its own. But it gives policymakers, investors and institutions the evidence needed to act. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

A question investors should be asking themselves What opportunities are we missing? In 2024, female-led companies achieved stronger turnover growth than male-led companies. Yet they remain significantly underrepresented among fast-growth firms and venture-backed businesses. If performance indicators are strong but capital allocation remains uneven, the question becomes difficult to ignore. Are investors overlooking high-potential businesses? The conversation around female entrepreneurship often focuses on fixing founders. Perhaps it’s time to examine how capital is deployed instead. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

The quiet economic opportunity hiding in plain sight The UK has more than 5 million active companies. Yet only around 1 in 5 are female-led. This is often framed as a diversity issue, but it’s also an economic one. If female entrepreneurship reached parity with men, studies suggest the UK economy could gain hundreds of billions in additional value over time. This is untapped potential. Female founders are already building companies, generating employment and driving turnover growth. But the system is still not optimised to support them at scale. Closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship isn’t just the right thing to do. It may be one of the largest growth opportunities in the UK economy. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

Visibility to velocity This Sunday marks International Women’s Day. The data shows why it matters. In 2024, just 19.1% of active UK companies were female-led. Yet female-led businesses recorded turnover growth of 24.6%, outpacing male-led companies at 21.6%. The issue is not performance, it is access. Female-led companies remain underrepresented among fast-growth firms and continue to receive a disproportionately small share of venture capital and private equity funding. If we are serious about building a more productive and resilient UK economy, we must address how capital is allocated and how entrepreneurial ecosystems are built. International Women’s Day should mark a shift from acknowledgement to action. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

International Women’s Day is this Sunday: What happens if we do nothing? Our 2025 predictive modelling projects that female-led companies will rise from 19.1% to just 21.7% by 2030 – an increase of only 0.2 – 0.3% per year . Progress is happening. But it is slow. Without targeted intervention in funding, sector access and growth support, gender disparities in entrepreneurship will persist – particularly in capital-intensive industries. This International Women’s Day, the question is not whether women can build high-growth businesses. The evidence shows they can. The question is whether we are prepared to redesign the system to enable them to scale. Explore the data and projections in our 2025 report. https://lnkd.in/etZbDeGR Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

Ownership is the next frontier. A recent article in Global Banking & Finance Review highlights a striking imbalance: women drive nearly 80% of household purchasing decisions, yet receive just 2% of venture capital funding. Women are active consumers. Active philanthropists. Increasingly active founders. But they remain underrepresented in venture capital. Capital is not something to feel conflicted about. It is a tool. And when women control more of it, influence follows. At The Gender Index, our data consistently shows disparities in fast-growth companies, venture funding, and access to investment. Representation alone is not enough. Ownership and capital allocation are where long-term economic power is built. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ePsBK3cg Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

Let’s talk about founder fatigue Burnout among female founders is often framed as a personal issue but iIn reality, it’s structural. Many women are not burning out because they lack ambition or resilience. They’re burning out because they are constantly required to prove credibility in systems that were not designed for them. The Gender Index data shows women-led businesses outperforming on turnover growth, yet remaining underrepresented in fast-growth companies and institutional funding. That mismatch creates pressure to overperform. If we want sustainable growth, we need ecosystems that reward performance without demanding exhaustion as the entry fee. That means fair access to capital, realistic growth expectations, and support that extends beyond survival. Healthy founders build resilient businesses. The economy depends on both. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce

Who gets to fail and try again? Failure is often framed as a badge of honour in entrepreneurship, but not everyone is allowed to wear it. When male founders stumble, failure is seen as experience. When women do, it’s treated as a verdict on credibility. Confidence is questioned and doors quietly close. The Gender Index shows why this matters. Only 19.1% of UK companies are female-led, yet women-led businesses delivered stronger turnover growth than male-led firms in 2024. The capability is there. What’s missing is tolerance for risk when the founder doesn’t fit the traditional mould. If entrepreneurship is truly about learning and resilience, then women must be afforded the same right to fail and build again. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses mnAi NatWest Group HSBC Innovation Banking DWF Invest in Women Taskforce