The number of female CEOs and on women on boards has jumped by 83 per cent since 2018, with the sharpest increases being in 2021 and 2022.

A new study by UK Virtual Business Assistant firm SpareMyTime also reports searches for ‘female founders’ grow by 1,850 per cent in the last 12 months alone, a 320 per cent growth in ‘female founders initiative’ and 300 per cent in people searching for ‘female founders programme’.

The technology sector has seen a particular increase, with ‘femtech’ showing a 1300 increase over the past decade.

Melissa Gauge, founder of SpareMyTime comments “The success of these female-founded companies is a testament to the growing strength of the UK tech scene and the increasing importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry. We are particularly excited to see so many companies on the list that are focused on solving real-world problems, which shows that UK female founders are committed to making a positive impact in the world.”

Examining female-founded businesses on a regional scale, there are a number of areas outside of London paving the way, with Yorkshire and the Humber contributing to £3.5bn turnover and employing 28,525, and the East of England receiving the most investment at £213.6m.

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