Despite huge strides in inequality, women’s entrepreneurship still lags men’s in all but seven countries in the world. In this infographic guide, Trainwest looks at nine leading women-led start-ups that are changing the world and inspiring the next wave of female entrepreneurs in 2020.
How A Lack of Funding is Contributing to the Start-Up Gender Gap
Access to capital is essential in order for a start-up to grow and succeed. Yet, research from Telefonica has found that “male entrepreneurs are 86% more likely to be VC funded than their female counterparts, and men were 59% more likely to secure angel investment.” This is likely linked to the fact that 90% of VCs and Investors tend to be attracted to businesses run by people who look like themselves. With few high-profile examples of successful female-led start-ups, investors may hesitate to fund companies run by women.
The Role of Gender Bias
Even in 2020, it’s evident that sexism still plays a role in hampering female entrepreneurship. For example, a poll from The Telegraph, two-thirds of 750 female founders felt they were not taken seriously when pitching to investors. Similarly, interesting research from the Harvard Business Review has found that investors tend to ask men and women different questions: “They tended to ask men questions about the potential for gains and women about the potential for losses.”
A Bright Future for Female Entrepreneurialism
As the examples in the below infographic demonstrate, there has never been a better time to be a woman in business. Study after study reveals that there has never been a higher rate of female entrepreneurialism. What’s more, women-led businesses are the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurship in many places.
Scroll down to the infographic below to learn more about the top female-led start-ups in the world.
