Female Founders Face Funding Gap in STEM, Yet Strategies Offer Hope

Data from the OECD and other studies show that women-led science startups receive a tiny share of venture capital, while four founders share how they navigate funding, parental leave and bias.

Recent OECD research and a report from the Founders Forum Group document a stark gender disparity in startup financing, especially within STEM fields, where women-only teams receive roughly 2% of global venture-capital and face longer fundraising periods. Emma Yates of Proteotype Diagnostics, Henriette Maaß of NanoStruct, and Kitiya Vongkamjan of Unique Phage-Based Solutions each recount how bias, risk-focused questioning and interruptions during pitches have slowed their progress.

They also highlight the importance of targeted grants, such as those from Innovate UK, the EU Women TechEU programme, and national ministries, as well as mentorship and incubator support that helped them refine clinical studies, commercial plans and investor communication. Parental-leave challenges and the need for operational cover during maternity are cited as critical gaps that, if addressed, could sustain momentum for early-stage science firms. Their stories underscore both the structural barriers confronting female founders and the concrete resources that can mitigate them.