Female business angels in Europe: Identifying barriers and opportunities for institutional support

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present and assess the context of the investment of business angels in Europe from the perspective of women. Thus, the analysis covers the reasons for lower activity of women among business angels, identifies the main barriers hindering the growth of this informal part of the venture capital market, and then identifies potential opportunities for institutional support of women’s activity among business angels on selected European markets by indicating practical initiatives in this area. The subject of the analysis is European organizations that unite women business angels, and the characteristics of their performance are carried out based on data made available by these institutions.

The number of women investing in the business angel market in Europe is still relatively low, and the vast majority of investors are men. Previous research suggests that there is a positive correlation between the number of women investors and the number of women building and developing their own businesses. As a result, more and more initiatives and organizations supporting and bringing together women investors are emerging in Europe, providing opportunities to engage with women business founders. The growth of this part of the business angel market is relatively high, and every year more and more initiatives and ideas are created to support women in business. Women investors in the business angel market develop their skills, look for new challenges, and are willing to suport other women who want to act as business angels.