Funding the future: Why female-led startups still struggle for investment

“Our data shows that if you have women in leadership positions, the chances are that, there are more women in that company across technical roles and all levels in that organisation” -Tanya Suarez, our CEO & Founder

 

Despite clear evidence that female-led startups generate strong financial returns, only 1% of VC funding in Europe goes to women-only teams. In this episode, Tanya Suarez, Chair of the Board at GENDEX, joins us to uncover the systemic barriers women founders face in accessing capital—and how data-driven insights can push for change.GENDEX is more than just a report; it’s a dashboard that tracks gender diversity across the deep tech pipeline, revealing where women drop out and why.

Tanya explains how biases in VC funding, lack of exposure to investors, and entrenched industry norms are holding women back—and why changing the system is not just a DEI initiative, but an economic necessity.With female-led IPOs valued at twice the average of male-led exits, we explore how investors and policymakers can harness data to close the funding gap, drive better decision-making, and create a more inclusive startup ecosystem.