Despite historic contributions from women pioneers, new data shows that women founders received only 2% of global venture capital funding in 2024, a gap IFIA warns is both unfair and economically irrational.
Article by Elinora Inga Sigurdardottir, Vice President, IFIA
October 2025
Women have been at the forefront of some of the most important inventions in human history, yet their role in today’s innovation ecosystem remains undervalued. In a recent article, Elinora Inga Sigurdardottir, Vice President of IFIA, highlights the persistent challenges faced by women innovators and calls for global action to bridge the investment gap.
Funding gap in innovation.
Imagine a world where the windshield wiper was never invented. Where the foundations of computer programming were never laid. Where millions still die of malaria because no one discovered artemisinin.
Now imagine that these inventions existed all along, but the inventors were dismissed, overlooked, or underfunded because they were women.
That world isn’t hypothetical. That world is ours.
Throughout history, women have been the quiet architects of innovation:
- Mary Anderson, who invented the windshield wiper, was laughed out of car companies who told her it wasn’t “necessary.”
- Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, had her contributions buried for decades.
They succeeded despite a system that told them to sit down, stay quiet, and leave the “big ideas” to men.
But what about today? Surely we’ve moved on. Surely women have equal opportunities in the innovation economy.
But the reality: in 2024, women founders received just 2% of global venture capital funding.
Two percent.
That means out of every $100 invested in new ideas, $98 goes to men.
It’s not because women aren’t innovating. Women are founding companies at record rates. They’re filing patents, leading labs, and building technologies that could change the world.
But they’re standing before a door that remains stubbornly closed.
Why only 2%?
It’s not a talent gap. It’s not an ambition gap. It’s an access gap to:
– Networks – Venture capital is still a boys’ club. Over 80% of VC partners are men. People tend to fund those they relate to, and women are often left out of the informal networks where deals are made.
– Bias – In pitch meetings, male founders are asked: “How big could this get?” Women are asked: “How will you avoid failure?” These different questions lead to very different outcomes.
– Perception – Women led businesses are often stereotyped as “niche,” even when targeting billion dollar markets.
And yet studies show that startups with women founders outperform their male peers by 63%.
This isn’t just unjust. It’s economically irrational.
Why it Matter
When women are excluded from innovation ecosystems, we all lose.
So what can we do?
– Investors: Ask yourself: are you funding the best ideas, or the most familiar faces?
– Mentors, both men and women: Reach out to women founders. Share your networks, your time, your influence.
– Policymakers: Look at the data. 2% says it all!
– All of us: Celebrate women innovators loudly and publicly.
Because when women innovate, humanity doesn’t just catch up, it leaps forward.
Let’s make sure the next Ada Lovelace doesn’t have to wait 200 years for her breakthrough to be funded.