UK Invest in Women Taskforce Deploys 115M pounds for Women-Led Firms

The Invest in Women Taskforce has reached a significant milestone, announcing that over £115 million has been deployed through its funding pool to women-led and mixed fund managers and businesses across the UK. This accomplishment comes at a crucial time in the Taskforce's efforts to drive more investment towards women entrepreneurs and investors.

This investment pool has now attracted £635 million in capital commitments, and recently BGF and Bootstrap 4F have invested in it. BGF invested a multi-million pound stake in adventure travel Company Wild Frontiers and Bootstrap 4F pledged to invest in Seedcamp VII LP, Seedcamp Nation II LP, and Evertrue Capital I LP. These investments are gender diverse and have commercial returns, as established by the Taskforce.

The news comes when a total of 22 deals have been funded so far and others are in the works. This is a success story that reflects the Taskforce's dedication to achieving sustainable transformation of the investment landscape, and represents real steps from commitment to results.

Key Highlights:

• Invest in Women Taskforce surpasses 100 million Pounds in investments for women-led and mixed fund managers
• Funding pool attracts 635 million Pounds in capital commitments, supporting 22 investment deals
• Initiative strengthens access to capital for women entrepreneurs across the UK

Hannah Bernard CBE, Co-Chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce, stated, “When we launched the Invest in Women Taskforce, our goal was not just to raise awareness of the funding gap, but to change the system that created it. Surpassing £100 million in deployment shows that this is no longer a conversation about intent; it is proof that capital is actively reaching women investors and founders.”

Debbie Wosskow CBE, Co-Chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce, added, “For too long, the investment industry has overlooked one of the biggest commercial opportunities in the market. This has never been about favoring women; it is about ensuring the industry does not miss out on exceptional businesses and strong returns. The capital is now flowing, and the commercial case has never been clearer: back women or miss out on enormous return potential for investors and the UK economy as a whole.”

In March this year, the fund of funds manager, Bootstrap 4F, revealed their first fund of £130m and have started to deploy funds. The firm has invested in Evertrue Capital I LP, Seedcamp VII LP and Seedcamp Nation II LP, which are investing in the next generation of high-growth ventures with women-led and gender-balanced investment teams.

His Majesty's Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade (DTI) support the Invest in Women Taskforce, with the aim of making the UK the best place in the world for women entrepreneurs. This is done by providing one of the world's largest funding sources for women-led enterprises, boosting the number of women investors and bolstering the overall ecosystem by helping more women to enter and grow businesses.