So You're Thinking About Raising Investment? Let's Talk Money, Honestly.

There comes a moment in nearly every founder's journey when the spreadsheet whispers something terrifying: "You're going to need more money than you have." Maybe you want to hire, expand, build the thing properly, or finally stop doing your own bookkeeping at 11pm with a glass of wine and a sense of impending doom. Whatever the trigger, you've started thinking about raising capital.

First, a deep breath. Raising investment is exciting, but it's also a bit like dating — you're looking for the right match, not just anyone who'll swipe right on your pitch deck. So before you fall for the first investor who buys you a flat white, let's set some realistic expectations and arm you with a proper list of people who actually want to back women like you.

The bit nobody enjoys talking about: the funding gap

Let's get the slightly grim numbers out of the way, because forewarned is forearmed (and because pretending the gap doesn't exist helps absolutely no one).

The reality is that women-founded businesses receive a strikingly small slice of the investment pie. A House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee report found that just 2% of UK equity investment in 2024 went to all-female founder teams – down from 2.5% the previous year. In the first half of 2024, all-female founded businesses received just 1.8% (£145m) of the total value of equity investment. Angel investment tells a similar story: of over 50,580 UK companies funded by angel investors in 2024, around 86% were male-led and only 5.5% were female-led.

And here's the genuinely maddening part. It isn't that women-led businesses underperform — quite the opposite. Boston Consulting Group found that female-founded startups generated $0.78 in revenue for every dollar of funding, compared to $0.31 for male-founded companies. So we're doing more with less, which is impressive, but also exactly the sort of thing that makes you want to write a strongly worded letter.

The good news? The tide is turning, and there's real money lining up specifically to back women.

The investor groups that are actively looking for you

Here's your starter list of female-focused funders and networks worth getting on the radar of. (Always do your own due diligence and check current eligibility — but this is a brilliant place to begin.)

Invest in Women Taskforce ("Women Backing Women" fund)

The big one. Government-backed and chaired by entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow, this Taskforce secured over £250m from major investors including Barclays, M&G, the British Business Bank, Morgan Stanley, Visa Foundation, BGF and Aviva to fund female-led and mixed businesses. Crucially, the pool is being deployed by female investment decision-makers, who are statistically twice as likely to invest in women-led and mixed-gender enterprises. Start at the Taskforce website.

Angel Academe

A long-standing London-based network. It pioneered the first EIS fund specifically targeting female founders back in 2014, letting female founders apply to pitch to its diverse angel network. A worth noting: many female-focused groups, Angel Academe included, ask founders to hold a minimum equity share (often 20%+), so be ready to talk about your cap table.

Lifted Ventures

Brilliant if you're in the North of England. Founded by Jordan Dargue and Helen Oldham (previously behind Fund Her North and Women Angels of the North), who together have facilitated over £450m of funding and helped over 500 entrepreneurs.

Investing Women (AccelerateHER)

Growing its portfolio and community across Scotland, a great shout for founders north of the border.

BGF

Not women-only, but a serious player: in 2025 it pledged at least £300 million to female-powered businesses over the next five years.

It's also worth exploring accelerators like: AccelerateHer (Barclays Eagle Labs), Femtech Lab, and communities such as Female Founders Rise for mentoring, masterclasses and warm investor introductions.

A few friendly parting thoughts

Investment isn't the only route — grants, CDFI loans (community lenders who back businesses high-street banks reject) and revenue-based finance can all be smart options, sometimes without giving away a slice of your company.

Whatever you choose, get your numbers investor-ready before you start pitching. Clean accounts, a credible forecast and a clear story about how the money turns into growth will take you further than the slickest deck. And that, conveniently, is exactly the sort of thing a WrightCFO can help you nail — but that's a blog for another day.

Go get that capital. The money's out there, and it's increasingly got your name on it.

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Written BY Sophie Wright, ACMA, CGMA

Founder & CEO www.wrightcfo.co.uk