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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Nicole Bowen

Government-Backed Funding for Women Rises as Female CEO Numbers Hit Eight-Year Low

the British Business Bank United Kingdom British Business Bank
Female CEOs in UK mid-market companies have fallen to 17% in 2026—the lowest in eight years, highlighting ongoing barriers to women’s leadership. (Credit: BMEIA / Michael Gruber / Wikimedia Commons)

The British Business Bank has pledged £1 million to back female founders, as recent data shows the number of women leading mid-market businesses falls to its lowest in nearly a decade.

The state-backed lender said the capital will be deployed through Angel Academe's Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) fund, which invests in high-growth businesses with at least one female founder.

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