Every March, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate women’s achievements across all areas of life. From Mary Barra at General Motors to Jane Fraser at Citigroup and Margherita Della Valle at Vodafone, women are leading global organisations and doing so much in business.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, Give to Gain, shines a light on creating meaningful opportunities and support for women that creates lasting impact. For us, at Start Up Loans, it is an ideal moment to champion female entrepreneurs and the value they bring to our society and economy.
At all stages of business development, we see underrepresentation of women. At the start-up stage, only 14% of smaller business employers were women-led in 2024, according to the Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2024, significantly below the 51% female makeup of the UK population.
Further up the business size scale, the British Business Bank found that just 2p of every £1 invested in VC funding in the UK goes to female-founded businesses and only 13 per cent of senior individuals on UK VC investment teams are women.
And HSBC research reported that, while 47% of UK female business leaders planned to expand, one in ten cited finance as their biggest challenge.
If women were enabled to start and scale new businesses at the same rate as men, it is estimated that around £250bn of new value could be added to the UK economy.
Yet maybe we could be heading in the right direction? Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data shows early-stage female entrepreneurial activity has nearly tripled since 2002, highlighting untapped economic potential that a more inclusive lending system could help unlock.
Start Up Loans has long been committed to supporting underrepresented founders, including women. In 2025, we delivered 4,423 loans worth £52.6m to female entrepreneurs, accounting for 39% of all lending – far higher than the average proportion of lending to female business founders. Our Start Up Loans Ambassadors are 50% female, underlining our ambition to reach this target.
One of these Ambassadors is Anna Lloyd, founder of Bwblin. For her the challenge of balancing home, care, work and ambition hasn’t just been personal – it’s become the driving force behind her business.
Anna comments: “One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as a female founder has been balance. As women, we’re often expected to be everything at once – to manage home, care, work and ambition simultaneously. That’s shaped my desire to build a business that supports people to live in a more balanced way, one that encourages asking for help, working flexibly, and putting people first.
“I’ve been inspired by women who have built strong, values-led food, wellness and fitness businesses while staying visible and authentic. Founders like Amelia from Bold Bean Co, Deliciously Ella, Krissy Cela from Oner Active, and Grace Beverley from TALA have shown that it’s possible to grow commercially successful brands rooted in purpose, community, and trust.”
“I would say do not wait until you feel ‘ready’. You will learn by doing. Back yourself earlier than you think you should, ask for help without apology.”
Anna Lloyd represents what women can do when given not only the right financial backing, but also with the necessary inspiration and support.
For many a lack of relatable role models is a key challenge, and research from DDI shows 63% of women have never had a formal mentor – despite two-thirds of those who have crediting it with helping their business survive and 76% linking it to growth. Ensuring accessible finance and tailored guidance remains essential to unlocking the full impact of women-led businesses.
For Rosie Elvin, founder of ADHD Focus, success has meant tuning out the noise and building a business on her own terms.
She shares: “I’ve been inspired less by one high-profile figure and more by the many women quietly building meaningful, sustainable businesses – often alongside caring responsibilities, health challenges, or nonlinear career paths. Women who are honest about the messiness of entrepreneurship, who don’t pretend it’s effortless, and who are willing to change direction when something no longer aligns.”
Rosie adds: “Build support early, whether that’s through mentors, peers, or communities, and don’t try to do everything alone. And finally, design your business around your energy, your values, and your life, not someone else’s version of success.”
Both women and their successful businesses show what is possible when the right funding, support and in turn confidence align to turn promising ideas into tangible, growing businesses.
As the value of equitable opportunities in business increase year on year, ensuring women can access the right support and funding is crucial. Through initiatives such as the Invest in Women Taskforce and Start Up Loans, the British Business Bank is consistently working to improve access to finance and strengthen the backing available to female founders.
Tangibly, the British Business Bank in December 2025 agreed to commit an anchor investment of £30m (subject to final terms) to the Invest in Women Taskforce ‘Women backing Women’ Fund of Funds, led by Bootstrap4F, alongside institutional supporters Barclays, M&G, and Nationwide.
Women-led businesses are driving impact across industries, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the market. Supporting more women to step into entrepreneurship requires practical, accessible finance and Start Up Loans continues to ensure those with viable ideas have a fair opportunity to secure funding and build sustainable ventures.
