What if the problem isn’t women’s businesses, but the way we talk about them?
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The funding gap for women-led startups in Australia is not due to the quality of their businesses, but rather the way they are perceived and judged by investors. Women founders face a self-advocacy gap, where they are expected to prove themselves in a startup culture that rewards confidence and polish over competence and potential.
A recent report showed that all-female founding teams in Australia received only 2% of startup capital. This is not due to a lack of strong businesses, but rather a cultural issue. Women founders face a self-advocacy gap, where they are interrupted more frequently during pitch presentations and spend more time fundraising. Investors also ask women prevention-focused questions, while men are asked promotion-focused questions. To address this issue, a national competition was launched to celebrate the founder, their story, and their resilience. The competition aims to recognize brilliant entrepreneurs who may not fit the conventional mold of an 'investable founder'.
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