UK Investing in Women Code boosts venture capital for female founders

The sixth annual Investing in Women Code report shows UK signatories have consistently outperformed the wider market in funding female‑founder teams. In 2025, signatories funded 33% of venture‑capital deals involving at least one woman founder, compared with 25% across the broader market, and allocated 32% of total VC investment to such teams. More than 330 organisations now participate in the government‑backed initiative, up from just 12 in 2019, and are over twice as likely to invest in women‑led businesses.

Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation Blair McDougall said the Code “shows that backing female founders is good for business and good for growth”, while acknowledging that women‑led firms still face disproportionate barriers. The government’s Invest in Women taskforce has deployed over £70 million from its £635 million pool, complementing the British Business Bank’s £400 million Investor Pathways Capital Initiative aimed at diversifying fund managers.