Rethinking How We Fund Women-Led Startups

In Africa

In 2024, less than 7% of global invested capital went to female founders. It’s a jarring figure, but not a surprising one.

Phylis Njongoro, Investment Analyst at Vested World, knows this reality firsthand. In our latest video feature, she unpacks the layered dynamics that keep women-led startups underfunded, not for lack of ideas or innovation, but because of perception and structure.

“Many female founders have brilliant ideas,” Phylis explains. “But the way they present them, their cautious projections, their steady, deliberate approach, often doesn’t spark the same confidence in investors as the more aggressive pitches we typically see from male entrepreneurs.”

This conservatism, especially in uncertain economic times, could be an advantage. Yet, paradoxically, it often limits the scale and speed of capital women can access.

Phylis calls for a shift in mindset and mechanism. “We need to see more investment directed toward women entrepreneurs. And we need to get creative, look beyond equity and venture debt. There’s room for new models and hybrid structures that actually work for the kinds of businesses women are building.”