The Women Backing Women fund has secured an additional £30 million in investment, strengthening one of the UK’s most significant initiatives dedicated to supporting women-led and mixed-gender founding teams.
The new capital commitment comes from the British Business Bank, bringing its total backing of the fund to £130 million. This milestone reinforces growing institutional confidence in the economic potential of women entrepreneurs and the importance of targeted investment strategies to close the gender funding gap.
Scaling Capital for Women-Led Businesses
The Women Backing Women fund was established under the UK government’s Invest in Women Taskforce, with a mission to increase the flow of capital into businesses founded or co-founded by women. The fund focuses on high-growth sectors and aims to address long-standing disparities in access to venture and growth capital.
Despite strong performance data, women-led companies continue to receive a disproportionately small share of equity investment. By expanding the size of this fund, the initiative seeks to unlock growth opportunities that might otherwise remain underfunded.
Institutional Momentum Behind Gender-Smart Investment
This latest investment signals a broader shift toward gender-smart capital allocation. The British Business Bank has highlighted the role of women-led businesses in driving innovation, productivity and economic resilience, particularly within the UK’s startup and scaleup ecosystem.
By backing funds with a clear mandate to support female founders, public institutions can help de-risk investment, crowd in private capital and accelerate systemic change across the funding landscape.
Why This Matters
Access to growth capital remains one of the most significant barriers facing women entrepreneurs. Initiatives like the Women Backing Women fund play a critical role in:
- Increasing the number of women-led businesses able to scale
- Supporting diverse leadership across high-growth sectors
- Strengthening long-term economic growth and innovation
For founders, investors and ecosystem builders alike, this additional £30 million represents more than funding — it reflects growing recognition that investing in women is both economically and socially transformative.
Source: UK Tech News – “Women Backing Women fund secures £30m investment”