The gender inequality is still strongly rooted and widespread in the entrepreneurial world, especially in the area of tech and innovation. In Europe, only 15% of startups were founded or co-founded by women and in Italy female-dominated innovative startups are just 13,4%.
Joining forces to encourage change is the idea behind the new partnership agreement between Club degli Investitori, one of the main business angel networks in Italy, and Angels4Women, the country's first group of business angels with a focus on innovative female entrepreneurship, promoted by AXA Italia and Impact Hub SB, che ha l’obiettivo di promuovere e divulgare l’attività di angel investing e supportare l’imprenditoria femminile. L’accordo prevede la possibilità di membership congiunta per le socie e i soci dei due gruppi, condivisione delle nuove opportunità d’investimento, eventi di formazione e networking.
Facilitating the raising of capital for startups with female leadership is one of the fundamental steps to support the growth of these realities. Suffice it to say that according to the report 'The State of European Tech 2021', of the total capital raised in the year, only 1.1% went to startups with exclusively female founders. The most encouraging figures come from the early stage, with 7% of rounds below $10M.
One of the main causes of the difficulty in raising capital for female startups can be attributed to the low number of female investors: it is estimated that female business angels in Italy account for just 14% of the total. A gender gap that needs to be bridged.
Andrea Rota, Managing Director of the Club degli Investitori, said: "My best investments as a business angel have been made together with female angels, often focusing on leadership teams with a strong female presence. Increasing diversity in the Investors Club is imperative, first and foremost to make us better business angels. Partnering with Angel4Women is a key step towards becoming the investor group most capable of valuing all talents and attracting the best female and male skills."
Stefania Quaini, Managing Director of Angels4Women, said "It is only by turning the recommendations coming to us from the Sustainable Development Goals into actions that we can take the necessary steps to achieve gender equity, also and especially in the field of innovation. This partnership between Angels For Women and Club degli Investitori is guided by precisely these values and, let us never tire of reminding ourselves, even in terms of economic results the numbers speak for themselves: startups and companies with balanced or female leadership within them have excellent, sometimes even better, returns on investment'.
(Source: Club degli Investitori press release)
