At 12 years old, my world shifted in a way I never expected. My mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and overnight, I became a carer – not just for her, but also for my four younger siblings.

In the end of 2019, just before the world would change forever with COVID-19, my co-founder and I (both seasoned veterans in the HR and global employment space) decided to take a bold leap.

Right now, we are seeing a movement where women are no longer prepared to wait. No longer prepared to wait for the equality that, as children, we were taught was a done deal.

In the fast-paced world of startups and entrepreneurship, where uncertainty and self-doubt can often creep in, one of the most powerful tools us women can have at our disposal is connection.

While headlines celebrate female entrepreneurship, there's a concerning trend hiding in plain sight. The percentage of women-led SMEs in the UK has declined from 19% in 2021 to just 15% in 2023. Yet, at a time when nearly half of businesses are turning to freelancers to drive innovation, female micro business owners could be the key to unlocking economic growth.

What does it mean to be a successful woman? Is it about breaking barriers, defying stereotypes, or simply staying true to ourselves?

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to acknowledging, recognising, reflecting, acting, speaking up, celebrating, and empowering women, I’m reminded of the immense power we each hold through PR and our own publishing platforms – such as our social media profiles, personal blogs, websites, newsletters, podcasts, video channels, online courses/webinars. These all allow us to create and share our stories and messages directly with the world.

In the UK, 18% of businesses are female-owned, while 82% are male-owned. Yet, women are starting more businesses, and 16-22-year-olds are starting more businesses than any other age group.

This World Book Day, Startups Magazine has compiled a list of the must-read books for all the founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs out there.

I want to be a billionaire, and I’m not afraid to shout it from the rooftops. Why? Because the world needs more women in business who dare to dream this big – and act on it.

Ying Liu is the head of AI R&D at the London-based startup TG0, and a pioneering researcher in human-computer interaction. Here she offers her advice to the next generation of female technology leaders.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, there’s still a lot of progress to be made in closing the female investment gap. Despite one in five startups having a female founder, by the time you get to venture funding, a shocking 2% goes to all-women founded teams. According to the latest Virgin StartUp Founder Barometer, over a fifth (22%) of women shared that the biggest challenges when it comes to running their own business today is access to funding.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising everything, and the design space is no exception. AI offers startups innovative tools to enhance creativity, streamline processes, and reduce costs. When startups have limited resources at the start, AI is an excellent option to overcome challenges.

The competitive reality of startup accelerators has reached new heights, with recent industry data revealing a stark imbalance between supply and demand. Approximately 4.2 million companies search for funding annually, with 1.6 million applying to accelerators. Yet, only 48,000 are accepted into equity-based and non-equity-based programmes, according to Crunchbase data, leaving 97% of entrepreneurs underserved and without access to critical support.

In the world of healthcare, there has been a long-standing gap in the way diseases and medical conditions have been researched, diagnosed, and treated for women. From heart disease to reproductive health, much of the focus has historically been on male-centric research and clinical trials.

The European Union must invest €100 billion to catalyse greentech entrepreneurship and innovation to secure its role as the world-leading exporter of greentech products, solution, and knowledge, says billionaire investor Dr. David von Rosen.   

​A​ few months on from the Labour Government’s first Autumn Statement and the employment market is in turmoil, business closures have hit a 20-year high and UK economic growth has all but stalled.

The emergence of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has shocked the IT industry. With its extremely cheap AI solutions, DeepSeek has challenged the dominance of tech giants and exposed an inefficiency in the way large corporations approach product development. If DeepSeek’s model becomes the norm, the entire IT sector could see a dramatic reduction in costs, making technology more accessible. 

For nearly 40 years, discussions about women in business, finance, and entrepreneurship have felt like they’re on a loop. We talk about diversity, increasing female hires, and closing the funding gap. Yet, we rely on the same data and measurements – and unsurprisingly, we see the same results. This narrative makes it seem like we’re constantly falling short when, in reality, we may not be looking at the numbers the right way.

Female Founders Day is back again. It's a free event designed to celebrate women entrepreneurs and leaders through an investor panel, pitch competition, and networking opportunities. This is the second time London Venture Capital Network (LVCN) is running the event and this year LVCN is proud to partner with Microsoft for Startups (Headline Sponsor), Barclays Rise, and NEXUS. It's a day packed with unparalleled opportunities to make connections and drive innovation in women's entrepreneurship—plus a chance to win a £5K cash prize.