Happy International Women’s Day to all in our community! Today we shine a light on the need to fund female founders, an LFG impact statistic we’re proud of, and a shout out to some amazing women entrepreneurs we know.
Why does funding female founders matter?
As with most sustainable development endeavours, progress has been but far greater action is needed. The funding gap for female founders remains significant. If you’re plugged in to the Linkedin VC scene you will have seen discouraging statistics on the % of venture capital that goes to female led entrepreneurs compared to their male counterparts. And yet at the same time, research keeps finding data that suggests this is counterintuitive… For example, First Round Capital found that female-founded companies in its portfolio performed 63% better than all-male founding teams; an analysis of Fortune 1000 companies that found that those with a woman CEO produced equity returns 226% better than the S&P 500. It’s not just the right thing to do, funding women makes business sense!
Further, women entrepreneurs are more likely to create businesses that contribute to an environmental or social cause. A just, equitable, and sustainable future does not just include gender parity, is needs it. The role of women in entrepreneurship to drive social and environmental justice has never been more crucial. The recent World Bank Gender Strategy 2024–2030 underscores just that: accelerating gender equality is key to ending poverty and creating a livable planet. The road to achieving the UN SDGs requires collaboration, creativity, and commitment to long-term goals. Investing in women entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways to unlock that potential and by providing access to capital, mentorship, and resources, we can foster an ecosystem where women leaders are empowered to drive transformative change.
Read the World Bank’s full report here and learn more about the global effort to empower women and drive sustainable development.
LendForGood Supports Women Entrepreneurs
At LendForGood, we are proud to share that 1 in 3 of our borrowers are women-owned or women-led enterprises. These women are resilient, creative, and innovative entrepreneurs that inspire us immensely. Their businesses are drivers of progress, creating positive ripple effects that extend far beyond their local communities.
We want to take a moment to recognise and celebrate some of the amazing women and organisations we are proud to work with, including Agri House, Emotions Org Community, Perfectfit, ROBRIES, Cambodia Knits, and Collabit. These enterprises are transforming industries and communities, led by inspiring women who are making magic happen. A special shoutout to Lundy (Dy) Chou, Rochelle Rich, Tungga Dewi, Syukriyatun Niamah, Monika Nowaczyk, and Michella Irawan for their incredible work and leadership in creating positive impact.
We applaud their impact and hope to fund more and more women-led businesses as the years progress!
Moving Forward: A Call To Action
As we look ahead to the future, the message is clear: funding female founders is not just a smart investment for the present but a critical step toward ensuring a sustainable and equitable future for all. At LendForGood, we remain committed to this cause, and we encourage others in the business and investment sectors to join us. Let’s continue to break down barriers, celebrate female founders, and help them pave the way for a more prosperous and sustainable tomorrow.
LendForGood is a crowdlending platform and global community of individuals and organisations collaborating to mobilise millions in impact capital for courageous impact enterprises.
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