Female-led start-ups received less than 3 per cent of venture capital
Wednesday 17 September 2025 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story University of Auckland
New research shows female-only start-ups received only $4.5m of the approximately $160m in capital investment last year. While women-led businesses reportedly provide higher returns, only one-in-10 female start-ups secured any investment. Researchers suggest entrenched biases may contribute to this funding gap.