While there is no shortage of business talent or ambition, Scotland’s female entrepreneurs are hampered by a lack of meaningful assistance

I spend a lot of time talking to female entrepreneurs about funding: specifically, the uphill battle to secure it. Women with bold ideas, brilliant plans and real ambition who, despite doing everything “right”, still struggle to access the capital they need to grow.

So when the UK Government announced a £500 million commitment to unlock funding for under-represented founders – women, ethnic minorities and disabled entrepreneurs – I felt something unexpected: a flicker of hope.

Launched alongside the 2025 Investing in Women Code report, the package aims to redress the structural imbalances that plague the UK’s investment landscape. It’s sorely needed.

Research shows just 2p of every £1 invested in UK venture capital goes to female-founded businesses. Only 13% of senior venture capital professionals are women. As part of the Government’s wider Plan for Change to drive growth through inclusion, this new initiative targets at least 50% of investment going to female fund managers.

“Unlocking the potential of under-represented entrepreneurs will help drive inclusive growth,” said Business Secretary Jane Hunt. And I believe it. But I also know that, while funding changes lives, the lack of it often shapes them just as profoundly.

Because here’s the twist. Lack of funding doesn’t just make life harder –it often makes female founders sharper, more resilient, more resourceful. That was certainly the case for Kylie Reid, founder of Egg, the female-focused platform and community that has become a byword for connection and care in Edinburgh and far beyond.........

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