Women-Led Businesses Near Male Counterparts in Exit Value
Charlotte Bobroff, a prominent figure at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, has emphasized the rising exit value of women-led businesses. Despite their smaller share of the high-growth business population, these firms are making significant strides.
In 2024, firms led by women approached £6.74 billion in exits, nearing the £5.23 billion achieved by male-led counterparts. This is a substantial leap, especially considering the £5.31 billion exit of Darktrace is excluded. The improving market conditions and increasing presence of women in SaaS and digital-enabled businesses are driving this growth.
Women-led SaaS companies completed 44 exits in 2024, representing 21.7% of sector exits. This is a significant increase from the 6.8% a decade earlier. Bobroff, who heads the UK Women & Wealth initiative, attributes these gains to the increasing maturity and scale of women-founded, led, owned, or managed companies.
Bobroff suggests that women's resilience and transparent approach to risk may give them an advantage in today's cautious economic environment. In Germany, the exit rate of female-led companies increased in 2024, with the women's startup rate reaching an all-time high of 8.5%. Targeted outreach efforts to women are partly responsible for this growth.
While institutional and structural barriers persist, such as fewer women in investor roles and historical concentration in consumer businesses, women-powered businesses are a driving force behind innovation and growth. As Bobroff and Marice Brown, region head for the UK, Channel Islands, and Ireland, have noted, these businesses are delivering record-breaking exits and the highest number of deals in five years. The future looks promising for women-led businesses, despite the challenges they face.
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