TheGenderIndex

Create a benchmark of the current level of activity undertaken by UK SMEs that are female founder owned & led - the 1st to be made freely & easily accessible.

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

The Gender Index Report 2026 is now live.

We benchmark representation, growth and access to capital across UK companies.

The findings are clear:
Progress is too slow.
The cost is economic.

New data. Same outcome.
Time is running out.

Read the report: https://t.co/04gTjxVcQ6

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

England has the UK’s largest base of female-led businesses.

They are performing. But representation has slipped to 18.1%.

The data points to the gap. Capital and policy need to respond.

Read the full report, link in bio.

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Over the coming weeks, we're going into the regional data, nation by nation, number by number.

England. Wales. Scotland. Northern Ireland. Each tells a different story.

All of them matter.
Follow along!

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Pipeline visibility, not pipeline absence.

Female-led businesses are already building, growing and scaling. The issue is whether investors, funders and decision-makers are looking hard enough in the right places.

The data is clear. The founders and opportunity is there.

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Female-led companies are not underperforming.
They are underfunded.

In 2025:
• 12.1% of female-led companies secured external capital
• 18.5% of male-led companies did
• 17.2% of mixed-led companies did

When access is uneven, so is growth.

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

If women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, the UK economy could gain £310 billion annually.

+22.1% average turnover growth in 2025. But only 13.2% of high-growth companies are female-led.

Opportunity is being lost.

Read the report: https://t.co/04gTjxVKFE

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Only 1 in 5 UK companies is female-led.

Female-led firms are growing faster, yet they are less likely to scale and far less likely to secure funding

We cannot afford to ignore the businesses that can and will deliver growth to the UK.

Read the report: https://t.co/04gTjxVKFE

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch of The Gender Index 2026!

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Our second panel discussion sparked a lively discussion.
“Being a founder is the hardest job on the planet, it’s like sending your children to school with no teacher.” - Rupert Lyle, West Midlands Co-Investment Fund

Read the report: https://t.co/04gTjxVcQ6

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

“When women are supported, the sky’s the limit”
– Jagdeep Rai, Managing Director, UK Head of Client Coverage, SME Business Banking, HSBC UK
Moderator of our opening panel, Jagdeep Rai set the tone for the launch with a clear message.
Read the report here: https://t.co/04gTjxVcQ6

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

The Gender Index 2026 report drops tomorrow.

The data is clear. Progress is too slow.

For investors, policymakers and business leaders, this is not just insight. It is a call to action.

The report lands tomorrow, watch this space.

Follow us on Insta: https://t.co/FTLdMf17J3

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Measurement is not optional. It is how performance is judged.

New data. Same outcome. Time is running out.

The Gender Index 2026 report is coming soon.

Follow us on Instagram: https://t.co/FTLdMf0zTv

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

The Gender Index 2026 report is coming.

The data tells a consistent story. The gap is still there, change depends on the decisions leaders make.

New data. Same outcome.
Time is running out.

The Gender Index has joined instagram, follow us: https://t.co/FTLdMf17J3

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

When women pitch, ideas are labelled “niche”. When men pitch, they’re seen as visionary.

A BBC article shows how bias still shapes funding, despite success stories. The issue is how female founders are recognised and valued.

Read more here: https://t.co/dg3PJJCo4w

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

What happens if nothing changes?

Our modelling shows female-led firms rise from ~19% to just over 21% by 2030. Progress, but slow.

At this pace, parity is decades away. Improvement isn’t transformation. Real change needs action now from investors, policymakers and ecosystems.

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

What does a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem look like?

Not just more start-ups or funding rounds.

It means diverse founders, equal access to capital, and real pathways to scale.

Without measurement, progress is guesswork.

#FemaleFounders #InclusiveGrowth

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

The most overlooked stage of the founder journey

We talk about starting businesses. We talk about raising capital. But the stage in between gets less attention: scaling.

Women are growing companies, yet remain underrepresented in fast-growth firms.

The gap is in scaling.

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

Female-led companies outperformed male-led firms on turnover growth in 2024.

Yet they remain underrepresented among fast-growth and venture-backed businesses.

If the performance is there but the capital isn’t, investors should ask: What opportunities are we missing?

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

The UK has 5.2m active companies, only around 1 in 5 are female-led.

That’s not just a diversity gap, it’s an economic one.

Female founders are already driving jobs and growth. Closing the entrepreneurship gender gap could unlock hundreds of billions in value for the UK economy

[TheGenderIndex @TheGenderIndex]

This Sunday marks International Women’s Day – and the data shows why it matters. In 2024, just 19.1% of UK companies were female-led, yet they delivered 24.6% turnover growth, outpacing male-led firms (21.6%). The issue is not performance. It is access to capital and scale.