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Bridging the Gender Gap: Empowering Female Angel Investors in the UK Startup Ecosystem

Why Spotlight on Women in Angel Investing Matters

Angel investing can kickstart the next big thing. But here’s the catch:
Only 14% of angel investors in the UK are women. That’s fewer than one in six. When we talk about women in angel investing, we’re discussing fresh perspectives, varied risk appetites, and game-ready support for startups. Yet female angels remain underrepresented.

Between 2012 and 2021, women in angel investing sank £2.34 billion into 4,149 UK businesses. Impressive? Absolutely. But dig deeper. Of those ventures, just 25% had a female founder. The numbers tell a story:

  • 5,064 out of 36,800 angel investors are women.
  • Fewer than 2% of angels backing more than five companies are female.
  • A mere 0.5% have funded over ten deals.

That’s a huge gap in opportunity.

Let’s break it down:

  1. Growth over the decade
    – 2012: £91.8 million invested by women angels across 250 deals.
    – 2017 peak: £328 million over 630 deals.
    – 2020 low: £249 million during the pandemic dip.
    – 2021 rebound: £266 million across 409 deals.

  2. Sector choices
    – Fintech leads the pack with 302 companies.
    – AI follows at 253, then adtech (104), edtech, and healthtech.

  3. Regional focus
    – London and the southeast snag over two thirds of female-led investments.
    – East of England (hello, Cambridge!) is second.
    – North-west, south-west, Northern Ireland lag far behind.

Why care about these figures? Because they show where women in angel investing are finding success—and where more support is needed.

Barriers Facing Women in Angel Investing

Why so few female angels? A mix of factors:

  • Lack of visibility. You need a network to invest. If you’re not in the room, you miss the deal.
  • Confidence gap. Many women underestimate their expertise. Meanwhile, male peers jump in.
  • Risk perception. Women often invest smaller amounts at earlier stages. That’s a strength—seed funding fuels innovation—but it hides their impact.
  • Limited resources. Education on SEIS/EIS tax schemes can feel opaque.

These hurdles leave many talented women on the sidelines. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

How Oriel IPO Bridges the Gender Gap

Oriel IPO was born to democratise startup funding—and that includes championing women in angel investing. Here’s how:

  • Commission-free SEIS/EIS marketplace. No fees nip away at your capital. Every penny goes to promising startups.
  • Curated, tax-efficient deals. We vet opportunities, so you can focus on impact, not paperwork.
  • Educational hub. From basic SEIS guidance to advanced EIS workshops, our resources demystify the process.
  • Community support. Join peer groups, mentorship circles and events tailor-made for female angels.
  • Innovative AI tool: Maggie’s AutoBlog. Need to boost a startup’s online visibility? Maggie’s AutoBlog generates SEO and GEO-targeted blog content in seconds. Handy for founders looking to impress you with traction.

By lowering entry barriers, we empower more women in angel investing to take the plunge.

Explore our features

Practical Steps for Aspiring Female Angels

Ready to dive in? Here’s a roadmap:

  1. Educate yourself
    – Start with government SEIS/EIS guides.
    – Then deep-dive into our platform’s webinars and articles.

  2. Build your network
    – Attend local angel meetups or online forums.
    – Connect with established women angels. They’ve been there.

  3. Start small
    – Allocate a test budget for two or three deals under £10k.
    – Track your wins and lessons.

  4. Leverage Oriel IPO’s features
    – Use commission-free deals to stretch your capital.
    – Dive into curated opportunities aligned with your interests (fintech, AI, edtech…).

  5. Join a syndicate or angel group
    – Sharing due diligence lightens the load.
    – Group wisdom boosts confidence.

  6. Support female founders
    – Data shows women are likelier to get funded if there’s a woman on the cap table.
    – Your involvement multiplies impact.

Following these steps makes you part of the solution. You’ll transform hurdles into hope for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The Ripple Effect of Women in Angel Investing

When you empower one woman to invest, you lift an entire network. Here’s what happens:

  • Diverse insights. Different life experiences lead to fresh due diligence questions.
  • Inclusive culture. Startups funded by women often prioritise social impact, such as flexible working or sustainability.
  • Funding for female founders. More women angels means more women-led businesses flourish.

Imagine this: You back a female-led fintech startup. That founder mentors another woman. And so on. Suddenly, an ecosystem grows—robust, balanced, and innovative.

A Call to Action

The UK’s startups need fresh capital. The country’s economy needs diverse leadership. And you? You’ve got the expertise and the drive. At Oriel IPO, we’re ready to:

  • Guide your journey into angel investing.
  • Offer commission-free, curated SEIS/EIS deals.
  • Connect you with fellow women angels.
  • Supercharge your impact with tools like Maggie’s AutoBlog.

Ready to shape the future of angel investing?

Get a personalized demo

By closing the gender gap in angel funding, we unlock untapped potential. And that’s good for everyone—investors, founders, and the UK economy. Let’s champion women in angel investing together. One deal at a time.

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