In a groundbreaking event held at the Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh on March 28, Mint Ventures, a women-led angel investment group, hosted the “Women Backing Women Investment Summit Scotland”. Collaborating with the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA), the summit aimed to inspire and empower more women to become angel investors and invest in women-led start-up businesses in Scotland.
Empowering Women in Angel Investing
Despite women representing half of the population and growing in wealth, they currently account for only 14% of angel investors in the UK. The summit sought to address this disparity by educating attendees on the pathways to becoming angel investors. The ultimate goal? To increase the number of female angel investors in the UK to 30% by 2030 through education, shared experiences, and good practices.
Bridging the Gap: Challenges and Opportunities
The lack of women angel investors has a significant impact on women-led start-ups in Scotland. According to the Beauhurst Women Angel Insights report, 74% of UK angel investment in 2022-23 went to all-male teams. In contrast, women angel investors allocate 25-50% of their investments to women founders. However, in Scotland, only 10% of women angel investments are made, compared to 63% in London.
Benefits of Angel Investing
The summit highlighted the benefits of becoming an angel investor:
- Tax Breaks: Angel investors enjoy significant tax breaks.
- Business Expertise: They can leverage their business expertise to support start-ups.
- Networking Opportunities: Connecting with other successful business owners and angel investors.
Keynote Address and Insights
The keynote address was delivered by Ana Stewart, co-author of the Pathways review of Women Entrepreneurship in Scotland. Stewart shared her entrepreneurial journey and emphasized the importance of supporting women-led start-ups. The event also featured insights from experienced angel investors, including Mary McKenna, Rhona Campbell, Tracey Rob Perera, and Gillian Fleming.
Women Founders’ Journey
The summit provided a platform for female entrepreneurs to share their experiences. Danae Shell of Valla and Rachel Curtis of Inicio AI discussed the challenges they faced while seeking investment and the impact of women investors on their business growth.
