Author: Lisa Fox
Last updated: March 2026
At Guinness Ventures, we have been reflecting on both our responsibility as a venture capital provider and the progress we have made in supporting a more inclusive ecosystem for female founders in the UK.
As a Series A investor focused on EIS-eligible UK businesses generating over £1 million in revenue, we back companies operating in business services, productivity-enhancing technology and healthcare. Since 2010, we have deployed more than £340 million into over 200 companies, helping thousands of investors access high-growth British businesses.
Alongside this growth, improving diversity within our investment pipeline and widening access to Series A funding for female-led businesses remains a core priority.
Increasing investment into female-led businesses
Over the last tax year, more than 25% of our invested capital was allocated to all-female and mixed founding teams. This represents an increase from an average of 19% between 2020 and 2024.
Recent investments include Perci Health, led by CEO Kelly McCabe and CMO Morgan Fitzsimons; Evaro, led by CEO Thuria Wenbar; and Anansi, led by CEO Megan Bingham Walker.
We have also backed GlycanAge, led by CEO Nikolina Lauc, another example of an ambitious female-founded healthcare business scaling in the UK market.
These companies highlight the strength of women-led businesses across the UK and the growing opportunity set for venture capital investment.
Beyond capital: supporting female founders to scale
Our role extends well beyond providing capital.
We actively work with organisations supporting women entrepreneurs and female founders in the UK, including Female Founders Rise, Female Founder Office Hours and KPMG Founded by Her.
We also support GAIN, the Girls Are Investors programme, helping to widen access to careers in venture capital and investment.
Within our portfolio, we provide structured founder forums, targeted commercial introductions, board-level support and practical scaling guidance. Our focus is on backing strong commercial businesses and ensuring female founders and diverse teams have fair access to both capital and experience at the scale-up stage.
Accountability and transparency
We are proud signatories of both the Investing in Women Code and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
These commitments help ensure we remain accountable and transparent in how we support diversity in venture capital and measure progress over time.
Building a more inclusive venture ecosystem
International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to recognise the female founders building exceptional companies across the UK. It also serves as a reminder that sustained change in venture capital requires consistent action.
We remain committed to increasing the proportion of capital allocated to female-led businesses, expanding access to Series A venture capital in the UK and supporting initiatives that strengthen the female founder ecosystem.
Seeking Series A investment
If you are a founder raising Series A capital into an EIS-eligible UK business, you can learn more on our Seeking Investment page. If you are an adviser interested in our approach, we would also be pleased to connect.
Together, we can help build a more inclusive and high-performing venture ecosystem.