Maven launches Female Founder Funding Programme

In the world of finance, diversity remains a challenge, and the underrepresentation of women in is a well-known issue. To address this, we are launching a programme specifically designed to support female founders. Our goal is to promote gender parity and facilitate women entrepreneurs’ access to finance. Diversity and inclusion play a crucial role in investment and its impact extends to investors, companies, and the overall economy. When we foster diverse teams, we unlock a number of advantages:

Deeper understanding: Diverse perspectives lead to a more comprehensive grasp of complex issues. By considering various viewpoints, we gain insights that might otherwise remain hidden.

Better insights: A mix of backgrounds and experiences enriches the decision-making process. Diverse teams can identify risks, opportunities, and innovative solutions more effectively.

Broader competencies: Different skill sets and expertise enhance the team’s capabilities. A diverse group can tackle multifaceted challenges with a wider range of skills.

At Maven, women are integral to our business and culture, playing a prominent role in our organisation’s success. The experience and skills brought by women have enriched our business. With mixed gender teams, we’ve fostered the development of innovative ideas and improved work processes. Encouraging and supporting women entrepreneurs contributes to a more vibrant and inclusive business ecosystem. That’s why we’ve established a programme for female founders, led by our female investment team.

As a signatory to the Investing in Women Code, Maven is committed to supporting the advancement of female entrepreneurship in the UK by improving female entrepreneurs’ access to tools, resources and finance from the financial services sector.

"Research highlights that there is significant untapped potential within the UK economy, where female entrepreneurs receive substantially less investment compared to their male counterparts. To help drive change, we are launching a programme aimed at supporting women in business and leadership. Our focus is on empowering talented founders at the helm of some of the most innovative and high-growth businesses across the UK. With this new initiative, we eagerly anticipate expanding our network and assisting these entrepreneurs in taking that crucial next step on the funding ladder."

Melanie Goward, Partner at Maven

Our programme will encompass a series of funding workshops and 1-2-1 support sessions to connect with women entrepreneurs who encounter challenges in accessing growth capital or those who simply want to know more about accessing funding. Our virtual funding clinics will be hosted online, ensuring accessibility for female founders across the UK. The goal is to provide support, advice and feedback to assist them in scaling their companies.

The female founder workshops will provide small groups with an interactive experience featuring engaging and educational presentations from Maven and local advisors. Participants will receive an overview of the funding landscape, tips on investment readiness and insights into growth and scaling opportunities.

Additionally, participants will have the chance to hear from our investment team, who are at the forefront of business innovation and growth. They’ll gain insights into the different types of investment available and receive guidance on what to consider when negotiating funding.

"Female founders and management teams contribute diverse perspectives and experiences, resulting in innovative solutions and ground-breaking products. Diverse teams are more creative and better at problem-solving, as well as generating higher returns and better economic value for stakeholders; research indicates that companies led by gender-diverse leadership teams tend to outperform their less diverse counterparts. In recognising that female founders bring unique skills and perspectives to businesses, we are committed to ensuring that the right tools, resources, and support is accessible."

Rebecca MacDermid, Investment Manager at Maven

Are you a female founder? Sign up to an event near you*: 

Funding clinics:
Thursday 18 April 10.00 – 12.00 
Tuesday 14 May 10.00 – 12.00 
Thursday 13 June 10.00 – 12.00                                                                                                                    Wednesday 24 July 10:30 - 12:30

Workshops:
Thursday 11 April 09.30 – 11.30 in Newcastle 
Thursday 6 June 09.30 – 11.30 in Bristol
Thursday 26 September 08.30 – 10.30 in Edinburgh

*with more events to follow later this year.