Female entrepreneurship: Drivers of change for the tech sector

Join techUK and the Invest in Women Taskforce as we discuss the drivers of change for female entrepreneurs and leaders in the tech sector. We will focus on the action that the UK Government, and industry, can take to drive more capital into women working across the frontier technology sectors. 

techUK continue to champion and showcase women tech entrepreneurs and founders, and we call for the UK Government to do the same. You can catch up on recent work to support diversity within the tech sector via our Tech Together campaign. 

The Invest in Women Taskforce supports funding for female founders. The core aim of the taskforce is to create a bespoke funding pot of more than £250m for female-founded businesses through private capital. 

We are currently taking expressions of interests for this roundtable. If you are interested in attending, please click the 'book now' button and fill out the form. Please note, we are operating on a first come first served basis given limited capacity. 

The why: 

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of how to better support female-led enterprises. This is particularly critical given research indicating that if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, the UK economy could gain an additional £250 billion. 

In the tech sector, there is continued gender disparity, with female tech entrepreneurs and founders facing barriers to starting and scaling businesses. Women continue to make up a small percentage of IT specialists in the UK, highlighting a missed opportunity to harness the full breadth of talent. 

The challenge: 

Women in the UK face barriers such as access to social capital, networking, role models, mentorship, and societal expectations, with additional challenges for ethnic minority women. Women-led businesses also face funding disparities despite strong performance, receiving a smaller share of investment capital. 

Indeed, female founders only receive 2% of equity investment in the UK.

The opportunity: 

Women, and diverse founders bring unique perspectives and innovative solutions to the table, driving economic growth and fostering inclusive business practices. 

But women-led businesses generate 35% higher returns on investment versus male-led counterparts.

Confirmed speakers: