FVF's Gregory: Why venture capitalists need to turn to female-founded businesses

Lack of mentoring women entrepreneurs a stumbling block

Start-up businesses run by women are far more likely to be overlooked by venture capitalists (VCs) because female directors often undersell themselves in pitches, their companies tend to offer steady rather than fast-paced growth, and due to a lack of female representation across investment networks, according to chair of the Female Ventures Fund's (FVF) advisory board Lesley Gregory.

Corporate lawyer Gregory, who is also chair of law firm Memery Crystal and specialises in flotations and secondary capital raisings, joined forces with alternative investment manager Innvotec in June this year to launch the FVF fund, which invests exclusively in female founded or co-founded enterprises and aims to encourage more women to invest in early-stage businesses. Gender gap She said there is a significant gap in the market both for investors to benefit from returns achieved by women-led businesses, and to provide guidance and mentoring for female business owners looking to secu...