Women-Led Ventures

Entrepreneurship has long been seen as a catalyst of economic growth and national prosperity. But in Canada, new business ventures are still much more likely to be led by men than by women.

In 2018, less than 20 per cent of Canadian small-to-medium enterprises were wholly or majority owned by women. That is, women represent a large pool of potential entrepreneurial talent that is largely going untapped. Indeed, economists estimate that increasing the number of women-led SMEs by only 10 per cent would add approximately $150 billion to Canada’s GDP.

In speaking with entrepreneurs who recently closed Series A financing, we’re exploring the differences and similarities in the management and fundraising approaches of men and women Canadian technology entrepreneurs.

Though some entrepreneurial experiences are common to both genders, many of their experiences differ, including methods of financing/funding; instances of sexism; interactions with venture capital firms; and number of pitches made before securing financing.

Understanding why differences in participation persist in this area is critical to devising better policies and educating financial professionals on the approaches taken by men and women, so that women’s access to capital is not skewed by misperceptions or bias. To do that, one of the main focuses of our research is the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs.