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UK Taskforce Targets £250M to Support Closing Gender Gap
Bootstrap4F, a government backed-taskforce have closed £130 million in funding for women-backed businesses.
The taskforce was set up in 2024, in a bid to tackle gender inequality in investment in the UK. Currently, fully female-founded teams only receive 1.75% of the £18 billion attributed to private equity investment in the UK.
Major corporations have supported the fund including Barclays, the British Business Bank and Nationwide.
The Invest in Women Taskforce is backed by the Department for Business & Trade and His Majesty’s Treasury, and represents moves from the UK government’s to support female entrepreneurship to drive for economic growth. The Minister for Investment Lord Stockwood and Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation Blair McDougall serve as members of the IWT board.
The fund is targeting a £250 million final close and it is hoped that this level of investment will support in moving the needle on investment equality for underrepresented women.
“We needed to change what normal looks like, and it is a market correction that is long overdue,” said Debbie Wosskow, co-chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce.
She continued: “it is a historic achievement, and we’re delighted that institutions have recognised the opportunity on the table. They have shown real leadership. We now need more investors to come aboard and join us on this journey.”
Co-founder and managing partner of Bootstrap Europe, Stéphanie Heller commented: “Securing £130m in commitments, with Barclays, the British Business Bank, M&G plc and Nationwide, is an exceptional outcome in this market.
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“We have built the infrastructure to deploy capital efficiently, and the funds that have expressed interest so far are both strong and high in quality. We are committed to making every investment count.”
Minister for Investment, Lord Stockwood said: “The UK is a thriving business hub, and this £130m investment into the Women Backing Women fund is a major moment in showcasing the power of government and industry in coming together to make a positive difference in our investment environment”.
