What support does Virgin StartUp give in order to gain opportunities for women founders?

Do you know about Virgin StartUp?

Virgin StartUp was founded in 2013 by Sir Richard Branson with a powerful mission; To unleash entrepreneurial Britain, so founders can start up and thrive.

Since then, this not-for-profit organisation has helped tens of thousands of founders to start and scale, many of which are women founders growing their thriving businesses.

And here's some hugely exciting news!

International Women's Day 2026 sees Virgin StartUp launch Open Doors: Women Founders Week - a week of startup funding guidance, Start Up Loans advice, and business mentoring for women entrepreneurs in the UK.
 

The road to entrepreneurial equity: supporting women founders to scale

By Diana Greenhalgh, Operations Lead at Virgin StartUp, Virgin’s not-for-profit hub supporting new business founders

What would the UK economy look like if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men; accessing funding on equal terms?

As someone who has built, scaled and exited my own business, and now work with founders every day at Virgin StartUp, I know the talent and ambition is there. That question sits at the heart of Virgin StartUp’s 50/50 pledge, a commitment to fund equal numbers of male and female founders with Start Up Loans to help their business ideas grow.
 

Parity should be standard, but the truth is, it still requires deliberate action 

Virgin StartUp has been a national provider of the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loan programme since 2013. In that time, we’ve supported thousands of highly talented and successful women founders, but for many women founders, access to advice, opportunity and the right funding are still hard to come by.

The reality is that, on average, women are often more cautious around debt and external funding. Many are balancing multiple commitments, from building their businesses to supporting families, and are weighing up financial risk through that broader lens which naturally shapes their decision making.

Confidence plays a significant role

Too often, women underestimate the scale and potential of what they’re building. At our investment accelerator demo days, where founders practice their elevator pitches in front of peers, I’ve seen women project growth more conservatively or hesitate to position their businesses as high growth, even when the potential is clearly there.

At the same time, the way investors frame their questions can also influence outcomes. We've seen that female founders are more likely to be asked “prevention” questions by investors, focused on risk and downside, while male founders are more often asked “promotion” questions about growth and opportunity. Over time, this framing can lead to female founders lowering their business projections, their valuation, and being less ambitious in their pitches.

Representation within investment communities matters

The proportion of male investors remains significantly higher than female investors. We find that if women founders are building strong businesses in fashion, beauty, or women’s healthcare for example, male investors are typically less willing to invest because they aren't consumers of the product and lack the knowledge to make a confident investment. These challenges reinforce why more action is needed to support female founders.

We’re intentionally working towards 50/50 funding for men and women, but are transparent about the fact we haven’t quite reached it. Over the years, the numbers have ebbed and flowed, sometimes getting to 49/51 and other times running closer to 41/59. The pandemic saw a particular dip in loan applications from female founders, reflecting the disproportionate caring responsibilities many women took on and being more likely to put their business ambitions on hold.

However, we consistently see that when women do access the right funding and support, the outcomes are incredible. We see women building resilient, profitable and purpose-driven businesses. We see founders creating jobs in their communities, innovating in industries that have long lacked diversity, and balancing commercial ambition with social impact. The issue isn’t a lack of talent. It’s about access and the right ecosystem of support. Starting a business shouldn’t feel like you’re knocking on a closed door.

Responsible, structured finance such as Start Up Loans can unlock growth in ways that self-funding alone often can’t. It enables founders to invest in marketing, hire their first team member, develop new products or move into larger premises. It creates momentum and headroom to grow with confidence. 

But finance is only one piece of the puzzle. Mentorship, community and visible role models are equally powerful. When women see other women securing funding, scaling businesses and leading with confidence, it shifts what feels possible.

I learned the value of that kind of backing while scaling my own business. I had an incredible mentor who supported me through countless moments of uncertainty. She challenged me when I was thinking too small, held me accountable when it mattered most, and gave me the reassurance to keep going when confidence wavered. That combination of encouragement and challenge helped me grow not just my business, but my confidence as a leader.

That’s why Virgin StartUp’s approach goes beyond providing funding alone. 

Alongside Start Up Loan funding, we connect founders with experienced mentors, peer networks and practical expertise, creating a support system that strengthens both the business and the person building it.
 

A brilliant Open Doors: Women Founders Week is launched

For International Women’s Day, we’re running Open Doors: Women Founders Week, a week-long, access-led experience offering free business advisor drop-ins, group mentoring sessions, funding webinars and hands-on marketing workshops.

The aim is simple: to lower barriers, build confidence and make the path to funding feel more navigable.

And the impact extends beyond the individual founders who take part.

When more women scale successfully, we gain stronger businesses, broader innovation and a more representative economy. We gain new products and services that reflect diverse consumer needs. We gain job creation, regional growth and long-term resilience. 

But if we’re serious about moving closer to parity, we know we must go further. That means continuing to examine how we communicate funding, how we encourage applications, how we represent success stories, and how we ensure our processes feel accessible and supportive. It means tracking our progress and holding ourselves accountable for sustained improvement.

This International Women’s Day, the conversation doesn't centre on asking women to change. It focuses on shifting the current start-up landscape, so it works better for women.

At Virgin StartUp, our role is to provide the funding, networks and support that unlock growth. Because when women have fair access to funding and supporting, the impact is tangible: stronger businesses, more representative products and services, sustainable job creation, and stronger regional growth contributing to a more resilient economy.
 

Learn more about getting involved with Open Doors: Women Founders Week.