The Gender Index

The Gender Index The Gender Index was established to create positive change for women, driven by data

Northern Ireland's performance is there. The pipeline isn't.15.9% of active companies are female-led – the lowest of any...
29/05/2026

Northern Ireland's performance is there. The pipeline isn't.

15.9% of active companies are female-led – the lowest of any UK nation. Female-led incorporations fell from 18.9% in 2024 to 17.2% in 2025.

But where female-led companies operate, the numbers are striking. Turnover growth hit 20.5% – more than double the rate for male-led companies. And female-led companies here are more likely to hold external capital than the UK average, with 37.5% of angel investors being female against a UK average of 32.8%.

The foundation is strong. The pipeline is not up to scratch.

Build the start-up base. Strengthen scale-up routes. The performance data shows what is possible when female-led companies get the conditions to grow.

Scotland's data deserves attention.Female-led companies are 17.0% of active companies, below the UK average. Among high-...
22/05/2026

Scotland's data deserves attention.

Female-led companies are 17.0% of active companies, below the UK average. Among high-growth companies, that share falls to just 11.6%, the lowest of any UK nation.

Female-led companies still outperformed male-led on turnover growth in 2025. But the gap has narrowed, and access to external capital has declined.

Scotland has ecosystem momentum. Accelerators, networks, policy intent. But momentum without conversion is not progress.

More women are starting. Fewer are scaling. Fewer still are securing the finance to grow. That gap is where intervention needs to land.

Read more in the 2026 report: https://thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

Wales is outgrowing its representation gap.Wales has 17.1% female-led active companies, below the UK average. Yet on alm...
20/05/2026

Wales is outgrowing its representation gap.

Wales has 17.1% female-led active companies, below the UK average. Yet on almost every growth measure, it outperforms.

Highest proportion of female-led high-growth companies across the UK nations: 16.3%

- Lowest female-led dissolution rate in the UK: 16.8%
- Female-led turnover growth of 25.0% in 2025. Ahead of both male-led and mixed-led companies

This is not a representation story. It is a performance story.

The missing piece is capital. External investment has improved but still lags the UK average. The growth is there. Finance needs to reach it.

England's female-led businesses are performing. The system needs to catch up.18.1% of active companies in England are fe...
15/05/2026

England's female-led businesses are performing. The system needs to catch up.

18.1% of active companies in England are female-led. Down from 18.4% in 2024.

London, the South East and South West lead on representation. The North East and London show the strongest turnover growth among female-led companies.

Performance is not holding women back. Access is. Scale is. Bias is.

England has the largest base of female-led businesses in the UK. The question is what it does with them.

The data points to where action is needed. Now policy and capital need to follow.

Read the full report: https://thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

13/05/2026

Over the coming weeks, we're going into the regional data, nation by nation, number by number.

England. Wales. Scotland. Northern Ireland. Each tells a different story. All of them matter.

Follow along!

Pipeline visibility, not pipeline absence.Female-led businesses are already building, growing and scaling. The issue is ...
06/05/2026

Pipeline visibility, not pipeline absence.

Female-led businesses are already building, growing and scaling. The issue is whether investors, funders and decision-makers are looking hard enough in the right places.

The data is clear. The founders are there. The opportunity is there.

Female-led companies are not underperforming.They are underfunded.In 2025:• 12.1% of female-led companies secured extern...
29/04/2026

Female-led companies are not underperforming.
They are underfunded.

In 2025:
• 12.1% of female-led companies secured external capital
• 18.5% of male-led companies did
• 17.2% of mixed-led companies did

When access is uneven, so is growth.

If we want to increase the number of high-growth companies in the UK, funding allocation needs to reflect performance not bias.

If women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men,the UK economy could gain £310 billion annually.Yet today...
24/04/2026

If women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men,
the UK economy could gain £310 billion annually.

Yet today:
• Female-led companies = 18.0%
• Dissolutions among female-led firms = 21.1%

More are closing than scaling.

The problem is not capability it is the environment that's created for female founders.

Are we prepared to change this?

Read the report: https://www.thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

Only 1 in 5 UK companies is female-led.That figure has barely moved in two years.At the current pace, change isn’t slow,...
22/04/2026

Only 1 in 5 UK companies is female-led.

That figure has barely moved in two years.

At the current pace, change isn’t slow, it’s static.

And the cost is measurable:
- Female-led firms are growing faster
- Yet they are less likely to scale
- And far less likely to secure funding

If the UK wants growth, it cannot afford to ignore the businesses that can and will deliver it.

Read the full report: https://www.thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch of The Gender Index 2026.Leaders across finance, policy and industry ...
16/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch of The Gender Index 2026.

Leaders across finance, policy and industry came together to engage with the data.

Progress is visible. But barriers remain in access and decision-making.

New data. Same outcome.
Time is running out..

Read the full report: https://www.thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

Our second panel discussion sparked a lively exchange on the realities of entrepreneurship.“Being a founder is the harde...
15/04/2026

Our second panel discussion sparked a lively exchange on the realities of entrepreneurship.

“Being a founder is the hardest job on the planet – it’s like sending your children to school with no teacher.” - Rupert Lyle, West Midlands Co-Investment Fund

Read the full 2026 report here: https://www.thegenderindex.co.uk/reports

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