Gender Gap in Investments, Sweden

On 19 February we participated in a workshop of European Parliament’s Pilot Project on the Gender Gap in Investments, initiated by MEP Lina Galvez, Chair of FEMM and member of ITRE Committee and implemented by European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) hosted in 🇸🇪 Stockholm, Sweden.

At this workshop, we:
🔍 Explored the scale of the gender gap in investments with a particular focus on Sweden and Nordics.
🛠️ Shared insights on the development of a harmonised methodology for data collection across Europe.
🤝 Collaborated on new initiatives and measures to help close this gap.
💡 Discussed actionable strategies and tools to enhance opportunities for women in innovation and finance.

Key takeaways from our discussions:

From the workshop with LPs & GPs on 19/02:
•⁠ ⁠Many LPs and institutional investors still lack specific allocation targets for female-led funds, which limits the flow of capital.
•⁠ ⁠Major barriers to growth include unconscious bias and the underrepresentation of women in decision-making roles within fund.

From the breakfast with startups on 20/02:
•⁠ ⁠Startups prioritise investors based on expertise, support, and alignment rather than gender. However, some female founders express a preference for female-led funds due to a better understanding of their business.
•⁠ ⁠Fundraising for female founders is often restricted by limited access to networks, credibility bias, and the expectation of demonstrating greater proof of concept.
•⁠ ⁠To unlock more capital for female-led startups, it is crucial for LPs to allocate more funding to female-led or co-led venture funds.

More information on the project: https://gendergap-investments.eu/events